Student Falls Prey to 'Digital Arrest' Scam, Loses 7.29 Lakh

An IIT Bombay student lost Rs 7.29 lakh to a scam where fraudsters posed as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India employees. They threatened him with 'digital arrest', a new cyber fraud tactic. The scammers tricked the student into transferring money through fear and manipulation.

An IIT Bombay student was defrauded of Rs 7.29 lakh after scammers posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), according to police reports. The fraudsters used a tactic known as 'digital arrest', impersonating law enforcement to intimidate victims through audio and video calls.

The incident began when the 25-year-old received a call from an unknown number, with the caller claiming to be a TRAI employee. Alleging that there were 17 complaints against his number, the caller said the victim needed an NOC to avoid deactivation, supposedly transferring the call to the Cyber Crime Branch.

A WhatsApp video call then connected him to a man posing as a police officer, demanding the victim's Aadhaar information and accusing him of money laundering. Under threat of a 'digital arrest', the student transferred Rs 29,500 via UPI and eventually shared his bank details, leading to the loss of Rs 7 lakh.

(With inputs from agencies.)