90-yr-old Hyderabad man loses Rs 18 lakh to fake CBI officers

The Cybercrime police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

Hyderabad: A 90-year-old man in Hyderabad has allegedly been cheated of Rs 18 lakh by fraudsters who posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and threatened him with arrest in a money laundering case, in what is known as a digital arrest scam.

The Cybercrime police have registered a case and launched an investigation, according to The Times of India.

Police said the fraudsters contacted the elderly man and claimed he was involved in a money laundering case. They allegedly told him he would be arrested unless he cooperated, and asked him to share his bank details.

The accused then demanded Rs 18 lakh to help him avoid arrest. Believing he was speaking to a genuine CBI officer, the victim transferred the money, reportedly hoping it would be returned after “verification”.

He realised he had been duped only after the transfer and approached the police.

Digital arrest scams, in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials and intimidate victims over phone or video calls into paying money, have repeatedly targeted senior citizens in Hyderabad and elsewhere.

Earlier this year, an 81-year-old retired businessman from the city reportedly lost Rs 7.12 crore in a similar fraud.

Cyber crime experts have said that no police or CBI officer arrests anyone over a phone or video call or asks for money transfers during an investigation. Citizens who receive such calls are advised to contact family members, local police or the national cyber helpline 1930.