Gujarat man arrested in Rs 1.55 crore digital arrest scam

A Gujarat man has been arrested for allegedly helping an international cyber fraud racket dupe a Navi Mumbai resident of nearly Rs 1.55 crore through a digital arrest scam. Police said he supplied more than 1,000 activated SIM cards to Cambodia

Thane: A 24-year-old man has been arrested from Gujarat for his alleged involvement in an international cyber fraud racket that duped a Navi Mumbai resident of nearly Rs 1.55 crore through a “digital arrest” scam, police said on Friday.

The accused, Umang Vijaybhai Lakod, who studied electrical engineering, allegedly activated and smuggled more than 1,000 SIM cards to Cambodia to facilitate transnational cybercrimes, they said.

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The Navi Mumbai police said in a release that the victim was targeted between March 23 and March 31 this year.

The fraudsters contacted the victim through WhatsApp and the Signal app, posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad officials. They sent him a fake letter purportedly bearing the name and logo of the Reserve Bank of India, along with a forged arrest warrant, threatening police action.

“The fraudsters induced panic by placing the victim under a ‘digital arrest’ through video calls. To ‘save’ the victim from legal consequences, they provided multiple bank accounts and forced him to transfer Rs 1,54,98,000,” the release said.

Following technical analysis of the WhatsApp accounts, Signal profiles and mobile numbers used in the crime, the Navi Mumbai police arrested Lakod, a resident of Amraiwadi in Ahmedabad, from Vadodara on July 3, it said.

“Police recovered 347 SIM card pouches belonging to various telecom companies, three mobile phones, two debit cards, six cheque books, one passbook and two Aadhaar cards,” the release said.

Lakod allegedly activated the mobile phones and SIM cards used to target the victim and shipped them to Cambodia.

“Further investigation has established that he has activated and sent more than 1,000 SIM cards to Cambodia so far,” the release said.

Police have urged citizens not to download files or respond to unsolicited messages on Telegram, Instagram or WhatsApp offering lucrative “task jobs” or high returns through stock market trading.

If targeted, victims should immediately report the incident to the nearest police station or call the national cybercrime toll-free helpline number 1930, they said.