A man in Rajasthan was duped out of ₹10 lakh by a fraudster posing as an IPS officer during a video call, highlighting ongoing risks of digital arrest scams. Authorities warn the public that law enforcement agencies do not conduct arrests via video calls and urge caution against such frauds.
Rajasthan police have again highlighted the tactics behind digital arrest scams after a man in Khairthal-Tijara district was allegedly tricked out of ₹10 lakh by a fraudster posing as a Delhi IPS officer during a video call. The victim, Deshram of Mundawar, was persuaded that a fake SIM card and bank account had been opened in his name using Aadhaar details, and that the account was tied to a ₹6.80 crore fraud. He was then threatened with arrest and a three-year jail term.
According to the complaint reported by India Today, the caller identified himself as “Sunil Kumar Gautam, an IPS officer from Delhi” and used the threat of legal action to keep Deshram under pressure. Police said the man transferred the money through RTGS from an SBI branch in Khairthal on 11 August after repeated warnings from the impostor.
The scam did not stop there. When another demand was made the next day, Deshram set out to sell jewellery worth an estimated ₹15 lakh to ₹20 lakh in order to meet the alleged demand. Acting on information, Mundawar police intercepted him before the jewellery could be sold. Station House Officer Mohar Singh Meena said officers counselled the victim and explained that he had fallen prey to cyber fraud. Family members were called to the station and the jewellery was secured.
Police have since registered a case and launched an investigation to trace the bank accounts and people behind the fraud. The episode comes a day after another major digital arrest case in Jaipur, where a 90-year-old retired district judge was allegedly cheated out of ₹2.50 crore by fraudsters posing as officials from the CBI and RBI, according to local police reports. Rajasthan police have repeatedly warned that no law enforcement agency makes arrests through video calls, and have urged people to ignore such threats and report suspicious calls immediately.
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