In a shocking case of cyber fraud, two men were arrested for allegedly scamming a homemaker in Kochi of Rs4.12 crore through a “digital arrest” scam, the police confirmed on Sunday. The accused, Mohammed Muhasil (22) and Mishab KP (21), both from Areekode in Malappuram district, posed as Delhi Police officers to dupe the victim.
The victim, Betty Joseph, a homemaker from Vazhakala, Kochi, was contacted by the fraudsters, who falsely claimed that a bank account had been opened using her Aadhaar card. They intimidated her by saying she had been “digitally arrested” and demanded that she transfer Rs4.12 crore to a designated account to “verify” if the funds were illegally obtained.
In a state of fear, Betty transferred the money in seven installments between October 16 and 24. The fraudsters promised to return the money once the verification was complete. However, when the promised funds were not returned, Betty filed a complaint with the police.
Initially registered at the Thrikkakara Police Station, the case was later transferred to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber), Murali MK, following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya. A special investigation team was formed to track the perpetrators.
Through meticulous investigation, the police traced a significant portion of the defrauded money to Malappuram, where it was withdrawn using approximately 450 different bank accounts belonging to various individuals, which made the withdrawals difficult to trace. The accused also used the stolen funds to lead an extravagant lifestyle.
The Kochi cyber police identified the culprits using scientific investigation methods, including call record analysis and tracking withdrawal locations. Investigators revealed that this scam was part of a larger fraud network operating nationwide. Authorities are now working to identify and arrest other suspects involved in the operation.