Udupi Cyber Police arrest suspect in Rs 89 Lakh ’Digital Arrest’ scam

Udupi Cyber Police arrest suspect in Rs 89 Lakh ’Digital Arrest’ scam

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, February 2, 2025: The Udupi Cyber Economic and Narcotic Crime (CEN) Police have apprehended a suspect from Dharwad in connection with an elaborate "digital arrest" scam that defrauded a local resident of Rs 89 lakh.

According to police reports, the victim, identified as Kannar Santosh Kumar (45), filed a complaint alleging he was extorted by fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials. The incident began on September 11, 2024, when Kumar received a call from an individual claiming to represent the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller falsely informed Kumar that his mobile number had been linked to illegal activities, including unauthorized advertisements and harassing text messages.

The scam intensified when the fraudster claimed that 17 FIRs had been registered against Kumar, warning that his contacts would be deactivated within two hours and that an arrest warrant had been issued against him. Shortly after, Kumar received a WhatsApp video call from a man dressed in a police uniform, who identified himself as an Inspector from Cyber Andheri East, Mumbai. The impersonator falsely accused Kumar of being involved in a money laundering case connected to an individual named Naresh Goyal.

Under the pretext of an income verification process, the fraudsters manipulated Kumar into disclosing his bank details and subsequently transferring Rs 89 lakh to a State Bank of India account, claiming it was required for Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fund verification. Kumar was also falsely informed that he was under "virtual arrest" until the verification was completed.

Following Kumar’s complaint, the CEN Police registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology (IT) Act and Sections 308(6) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. A dedicated police team launched operations across Kerala and Maharashtra, including Pune, to track down the culprits.

During the operation, police arrested Kiran (24), son of Puru Nayak, from Shahapur in Karnataka’s Yadgir district, Dharwad. Authorities seized a mobile phone and Rs five lakh in cash from the suspect. Additionally, Rs two lakh, linked to the case and deposited in the account of Mohammad Nisham CK from Kerala, was also recovered. To date, police have managed to recover a total of Rs seven lakh in connection with the scam.

Investigations are ongoing as police continue efforts to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in the fraud.