The cyber fraudsters typically target vulnerable individuals, including senior citizens, by pretending to be officials from agencies like the police or tax departments
Hyderabad: In a troubling new trend, Hyderabad has seen a surge in cybercrimes known as ‘digital arrests’, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials to extort money from victims. By using fear tactics, scammers claim the victims’ bank accounts are involved in illegal activities such as money laundering and threatening arrest if immediate payments are not made.
Victims are often coerced through phone calls, video chats, and fake legal documents, which falsely accuse them of crimes such as money laundering. Under pressure, they are tricked into disclosing sensitive financial information or transferring large sums to the fraudsters.
The cyber fraudsters typically target vulnerable individuals, including senior citizens, by pretending to be officials from agencies like the police or tax departments.
They may claim that a fraudulent bank account has been opened on the victim’s name and demand cooperation to avoid legal consequences. Victims are sometimes held “digitally captive” for hours or days, forced to interact only with the scammers through online means.
In a recent case reported in Hyderabad, an elderly couple was duped of Rs 10.6 crore. Fraudsters posing as Mumbai police claimed that an account in the victim’s name was involved in illegal transactions.
They coerced the couple into transferring money into various bank accounts, citing the need to comply with an ongoing investigation. The scammers used fake official letters and threatened imprisonment.
Hyderabad police recently arrested 18 individuals from Rajasthan, uncovering a web of cybercrimes involving digital arrests. “These criminals, known to target software engineers, homemakers, and retirees, managed to extract amounts ranging from Rs 1.1 lakh to Rs 2.9 crore from victims across multiple cases,” said a Cybercrime official.
Hyderabad Cybercrime DCP D. Kavitha described the modus operandi of the fraudsters, emphasising how they focus on vulnerable individuals like senior citizens.
“The fraudsters exploit minimal personal details, such as an Aadhaar number or a phone number, to obtain sensitive information about the victim’s financial accounts. Posing as high-ranking police officials, they manipulate and intimidate the victims into compliance, often threatening them with arrest,” she said.
Police sources said it was found that scammers were using fake documents of the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department. These tactics are designed to deceive victims into believing they are under investigation for money laundering.
Cybercrime officials urged citizens to be cautious in sharing personal or financial information online. “It is advised to verify the authenticity of anyone posing as a government official and avoid engaging in phone-based investigations. No legitimate police investigation will ever be conducted entirely over the phone,” said an official from Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB).
Individuals who are suspicious of calls from cybercriminals threatening them of wrongdoings and seeking bank and other details should immediately report the matter to the officials engaged in tackling cybercrime. They can report such incidents immediately through the TGCSB’s helpline (1930) or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
