The Cybercrime Police in Chandigarh have arrested two individuals for orchestrating a “digital arrest” scam involving over Rs77 lakh, by threatening a city resident using fake legal documents and impersonations over WhatsApp.
The accused have been identified as:
Sajid Ahmed Patel (30) from Maharashtra
Shayeed Rafiq Mullah (37)
According to the complaint, the victim received a WhatsApp call on July 10 from a person posing as a crime branch officer. The fraudster falsely claimed that her Aadhaar number was involved in a money laundering case tied to Jet Airways CEO Naresh Goyal.
In a coordinated scam, other accomplices pretending to be police officials shared forged Supreme Court arrest warrants via WhatsApp, pressuring the victim with threats of legal action and harm to her family. Out of fear, she transferred Rs77,42,420 in four separate RTGS transactions from her accounts in Canara Bank, PNB, SBI, and HDFC.
Investigations, as reported by The Tribune India, revealed the involvement of Sajid and Shayeed. Police conducted raids and recovered multiple items, including:
Mobile phones
Aadhaar and PAN cards
Bank cards
SIM cards
SBI ATM card
A Vivo smartphone
The police also secured Rs20,16,300 as a lien in accounts linked to the accused.
Using bank KYC and telecom tracking, authorities confirmed the identities and roles of the culprits. The case highlights a new wave of digitally orchestrated scams using fear tactics, social engineering, and forged legal documentation to extort money.
Further investigations are ongoing to uncover the broader network behind the operation.
