A government high school teacher in Davanagere lost Rs22.4 lakh in a digital arrest scam, leading to the arrest of a car driver, Arun Kumar, 35, from Koratikere village in Belur taluk, Hassan district. The Cyber, Economic and Narcotics Crime (CEN) police station apprehended Arun Kumar, while two other suspects remain absconding.
The scam began on February 5 when the accused contacted the teacher, impersonating representatives of a courier company. They threatened her by claiming narcotics and medicines were found in a parcel sent to Dubai under her name
The perpetrators obtained the teacher’s Aadhaar card and email address. A woman, posing as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), conducted a video call via WhatsApp and “digitally arrested” the teacher. She intimidated the victim by alleging that the arrested suspect was involved in hawala money transfer and that bank account details and an ATM card were seized.
To resolve these supposed legal issues, the teacher was coerced into transferring Rs22.4 lakh to bank accounts linked to Arun Kumar and others.
The victim filed a complaint on March 12 at the CEN station. Under the leadership of DYSP Bankali Nagappa, police investigated and arrested Arun Kumar. Efforts are ongoing to capture the remaining two suspects.
