In recent months, incidents of online scams orchestrated by cunning fraudsters have been on the rise in major cities across India. A recent case from Himachal Pradesh involves a retired HAS officer who fell victim to an online scam amounting to ₹73 lakh. The scammers held the retired officer in what can be termed “Digital House Arrest,” posing as CBI officials.
According to reports, the fraudsters contacted the retired officer on September 4 from an unknown number, claiming that his bank accounts were being used for terrorist activities. They warned him that a Supreme Court order had issued a 12-hour digital arrest warrant against him.
The scammers kept him under surveillance via a video call for several hours, advising him not to discuss the matter with anyone under the pretense of national security. They even staged conversations with supposed high-ranking CBI officials through video conferencing.
By instilling fear about the scrutiny of his bank accounts, the fraudsters convinced him to transfer a total of ₹73 lakh to various accounts. This included liquidating all his savings and even fixed deposits, along with money held in his family’s name. The scammers promised that the funds would be returned after three days following an investigation.
Between September 4 and September 12, the victim transferred ₹47 lakh to the fraudsters. When the scammers began to escalate their demands by mentioning land investigations, the officer became suspicious and contacted the Cyber Crime Police Station in Mandi.
Authorities have since registered a case under various sections of the IPC and are conducting an investigation. ASP Manmohan Singh from the Cyber Crime Police Station reported that approximately ₹21 lakh of the amount has been frozen in bank accounts and will be returned to the victim through court proceedings.
He urged the public to remain vigilant against such fraudulent calls and to contact the Cyber Helpline at 1930 or the Mandi Cyber Crime Station at 01905-226900 if they suspect they have been targeted. Complaints can also be filed via email at [email protected].
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