In a major breakthrough, the Punjab Police arrested two individuals from Assam—Najrul Ali and Midul Ali—for their involvement in a sophisticated digital arrest scam that targeted an elderly man. The duo was apprehended in Kamrup, Assam, after a thorough investigation into a scam where they conned a 76-year-old retired officer of a staggering Rs 76 lakh.
The accused posed as officials from Mumbai’s Cyber Crime department and lured the victim into transferring money by threatening him with a fake “digital arrest” via WhatsApp. The elderly man, unaware of the scam, complied with their demands, ultimately losing Rs 76 lakh in the process.
Further investigation revealed that the scam was not isolated, with the suspects believed to be part of a larger gang operating across multiple states. The gang is suspected of committing similar crimes worth Rs 15 crore across seven states. The police traced the IP logs of the scammers, which revealed that the fraudulent activities were being carried out from remote locations in Cambodia and Hong Kong.
Upon decoding the IP logs and tracking the servers, the police were able to pinpoint the suspects in Assam. Investigators believe the duo exploited digital platforms to deceive unsuspecting victims and transfer large sums of money through remote means.
This arrest comes as part of an ongoing effort by the Punjab Police to crack down on cybercrimes targeting elderly citizens through digital fraud schemes.
