In a significant breakthrough, Tamil Nadu’s Cyber Crime Police have arrested three individuals for their involvement in a digital arrest scam, which resulted in a swindle of Rs 3.84 crore from a victim. The arrested accused were identified as Mathangi Harish Babu (34), Logesh (30), and S. Afroz (31).
The scam unfolded when the victim received a call from a fraudster who posed as an official from the Directorate of Enforcement. The caller falsely accused the victim of using their Aadhaar card for money laundering and warned of an arrest warrant. To make the situation seem legitimate, the scammer even sent a fabricated arrest warrant.
Believing the fraudster, the victim was coerced into transferring a total of Rs 3.84 crore into a so-called ‘supervision account’ to clear the charges. The money was sent in multiple installments, with the victim believing it was a necessary step to avoid legal consequences.
Upon realizing the deception, the victim lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The police quickly traced the funds to a bank account associated with the accused.
The police investigations revealed that Harish Babu acted as a mule account holder, receiving Rs 1 lakh for selling his account to the fraudsters. Logesh was an agent who provided two bank accounts to the scam operators. Afroz played the role of an operator, using trading agencies to convert the illegally obtained money, allegedly for tax evasion.
Following a detailed probe, all three suspects were arrested, and the police are now investigating further to uncover the full scope of the operation.