Hyderabad: A 44-year-old techie from Hyderabad reportedly escaped an ordeal with cyber criminals on Sunday after being digitally held for 30 hours. The harrowing experience that began on Friday night led the techie to travel 15 kilometers from his Miyapur home to Ameerpet while being on a video call with the cyber crooks.
How The Ordeal Started?
The ordeal started around 3 AM on Saturday after the victim got a call from fraudsters, according to reports. The spammers initially introduced themselves as FedEx courier agents and later as Mumbai police officials. They told him that his Aadhar number was linked with a money laundering case. He felt the call was authentic as his Aadhar number was related to the case.
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Fraudsters Asks Techie To Isolate Himself
Once he was trapped, they connected him on a video call through WhatsApp and told him to stay till his account was verified. He was also told to isolate himself from his family members so that he doesn’t leak any vital information.
TOI quoted a cop from the cybercrime dept, saying, “Worried, he left the home around 4 am. He told his wife and minor son that was going to attend an emergency meeting with his boss at a hotel and that he would be busy for the next few hours. He also asked them not to disturb him until he returned home.”
The police said that the victim rode to the lodge in Ameerpet while being on video call all the time. The fraudsters even threatened him with legal trouble for his family and arrest if he didn’t follow their order.
They told him that the verification process would continue till Monday morning after the banks would open. He then needs to make an RTGS payment from his account and be released, the cops said.
Techie Calls Hyderabad Cybercrime Helpline
The nightmare continued until 4 AM on Sunday when the victim’s call just dropped. He called up the Hyderabad cybercrime helpline next. The officials immediately realized that he was being scammed.
What Is Digital Arrest?
In a Digital Arrest, fraudsters claim themselves as officials from different investigating government agencies or law enforcing bodies like CBI, Narcotics, RBI, TRAI, customs, and tax authorities. They normally ring up the victim first and intimidate him before extorting money. The victims are normally confined to one place usually their homes on the false pretext of having been ‘arrested’.
PM Modi Warns Against ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam?
PM Modi warned the nation against the ‘digital arrest’ scam on Sunday during the 115th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat,’, citing no government agencies threaten individuals over mobile phones and demand money.
The post released by PMO India on X, stated, “Beware of Digital Arrest frauds! No investigative agency will ever contact you by phone or video call for inquiries. Follow these 3 steps to stay safe: Stop, Think, Take Action.”
Beware of Digital Arrest frauds!
No investigative agency will ever contact you by phone or video call for enquiries.
Follow these 3 steps to stay safe: Stop, Think, Take Action.#MannKiBaat #SafeDigitalIndia pic.twitter.com/KTuw7rlRDK
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 27, 2024
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