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Punjab Police Arrests 2 Assam Men in ‘Digital Arrest’ Cyber Fraud Case

First Published: 19th November, 2024 13:50 IST

IP logs from WhatsApp and Skype indicated that the fraudulent calls originated from locations in Cambodia and Hong Kong.

The Punjab Police’s Cybercrime Division has successfully busted an inter-state cybercrime gang involved in a large-scale digital arrest scam, following the arrest of two Assam-based men.

The accused, Nazrul Ali and Midul Ali, residents of Kamrup district in Assam, were apprehended for their roles in defrauding victims through a digital arrest scam, a type of cyber fraud where perpetrators impersonate law enforcement officials to extort money from their victims.

According to Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the arrests came after a complaint was filed by a 76-year-old retired government officer. The victim reported that he was duped out of Rs 76 lakh by fraudsters who claimed to be officials from Mumbai’s Cyber Crime Cell. The scam began when the victim received a WhatsApp call from someone posing as a police officer from Mumbai. The caller falsely accused the victim of being involved in money laundering activities and claimed that a subpoena had been issued against him by the Bombay High Court.

The fraudster further intimidated the elderly man, telling him that he would be arrested unless he immediately paid a substantial amount to clear his name. The caller provided the victim with multiple bank account numbers and directed him to transfer funds to these accounts. Fearing legal repercussions, the victim complied, transferring Rs 76 lakh in total.

Upon receiving the complaint, the Punjab Cyber Crime Division registered a case and launched a detailed investigation. The inquiry revealed that the arrested suspects, Nazrul and Midul Ali, were part of a larger inter-state gang. Analysis of the bank accounts used in the scam linked the accused to at least 11 other similar fraud cases spread across seven states, in which an estimated Rs 15 crore had been scammed from victims.

The investigation also revealed an international dimension to the fraud operation. IP logs from WhatsApp and Skype indicated that the fraudulent calls originated from locations in Cambodia and Hong Kong. The gang appeared to be operating from remote districts in Assam, where the two arrested men were allegedly using their local bank accounts to facilitate the scam, reports said.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for the Cybercrime Division, V. Neeraja, explained that the Punjab Police team, led by Inspector Jujhar Singh, travelled to Assam last week to arrest the two suspects. Nazrul Ali was identified as the owner of the bank accounts used to siphon off the stolen money, while Midul Ali had assisted in the opening of the accounts using his personal documents.

Both men have been brought to Mohali on transit remand for further interrogation. The police anticipate making more arrests in connection with the ongoing investigation, which continues to uncover the extent of the gang’s operations.

This bust highlights the growing threat of cyber frauds like the digital arrest scam, which exploits victims’ fear of legal consequences and their trust in authority figures. The Punjab Cyber Crime Division has urged the public to be cautious and sceptical of unsolicited calls or messages claiming to be from law enforcement agencies.

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