Karnataka Government Worker Falls Victim to Six-Hour Digital Arrest and Robbery of ₹19 Lakhs
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Tumakuru (Karnataka), Dec 24 (NationPress) A state government employee became a target of cybercriminals, resulting in the loss of ₹19 lakhs after being subjected to a six-hour digital arrest in the Tumakuru district of Karnataka, according to police sources on Tuesday.
B.S. Nagabhushan, the affected government employee living in Upparahalli in Tumakuru, filed a complaint with the Cyber Police division.
As per the police report, the fraudsters contacted the victim, posing as a representative from the Mumbai Crime Branch. They alleged that illegal transactions had occurred from his account.
The impostor claimed that a separate SIM card was registered in the victim's name, which was allegedly used for harassing individuals. Members of the gang, who were also on the call, threatened him with property seizure and arrest related to these matters.
After cornering him, the fraudsters initiated a video call with Nagabhushan, appearing in police attire. They continued their threats, insisting he remain silent about the situation.
The deceptive call commenced at 8:30 a.m. and lasted for six hours, during which they interrogated him about his bank accounts and financial holdings. The victim disclosed details about fixed deposits held in his wife's name.
Under duress, they coerced him into transferring funds to other bank accounts they specified, assuring him that the entire sum would be returned after the investigation concluded.
The victim subsequently transferred ₹19 lakhs to the fraudsters via RTGS. Following the transaction, the criminals disconnected the call, claiming they would review the accounts and contact him in 30 minutes, but they never did.
The victim then sought assistance from the police and lodged a formal complaint.
In a separate occurrence, a software engineer lost ₹11 crores after succumbing to a similar digital arrest in Bengaluru on Monday, according to law enforcement.
The police reported that these cyber fraudsters impersonated authorities from the Mumbai Crime Branch to execute their scheme. The victim, a 39-year-old named Vijaykumar, is employed at a well-known IT firm in Bengaluru.
A case has been filed at the North East Cybercrime, Economic Offences, Narcotics (CEN) police station in Bengaluru.
The victim was informed that a case had been registered against him at the Colaba police station in Mumbai, where it was alleged that a cash transfer had been conducted using his Aadhaar number.
