A Bengaluru warehouse manager has fallen victim to a burgeoning ‘digital arrest’ scam, losing ₹3.2 lakh after scammers impersonated NIA officers and fabricated an arrest warrant in his name, continuing a worrying trend targeting residents in the city.
A Bengaluru warehouse manager has become the latest victim of a fast-growing “digital arrest” scam, after cyberfraudsters posing as National Investigation Agency officers allegedly tricked him out of ₹3.2 lakh by claiming a fake arrest warrant had been issued in his name.
According to the complaint filed by the 46-year-old employee of a private firm, the ordeal began on August 1 when he received several WhatsApp video calls. The caller identified himself as V. Kumar and said he was from an NIA branch, warning that the man would be detained unless he sent the money at once. The fraudsters told him the payment would be placed with the Reserve Bank of India for verification and returned within 24 hours. In his complaint, the victim also said the scammers used the photograph and identity of his company’s managing director to make the deception appear more convincing.
The case fits a pattern that has repeatedly targeted Bengaluru residents this year. In July, cyberfraudsters reportedly used a fake WhatsApp profile of a real estate firm owner to push an accountant into transferring ₹65 lakh. Earlier, in May, a 78-year-old woman was duped of ₹2.1 crore by criminals who claimed to be NIA officials and said she was linked to a terror case. In February, a businessman lost ₹37 lakh in a similar scheme involving fake claims from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Central Bureau of Investigation. Another Bengaluru resident, a 74-year-old man, was forced to part with ₹50 lakh in March after fraudsters even delivered blood pressure medicine to his home to reinforce the illusion that he was under surveillance.
After speaking to his company’s managing director, the warehouse manager realised he had been cheated and contacted the national cybercrime helpline, where he was advised to lodge a police complaint. Police have begun tracing the accused through the money trail as investigators try to identify the people behind the call and the fraudulent transfer.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
