The Uttarakhand Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has successfully dismantled a cyber fraud gang operating from Rajasthan, marking the state’s first-ever “digital arrest” case. The gang is accused of swindling over Rs1 crore from a senior citizen in Dehradun.
The victim received multiple calls from scammers posing as representatives of FedEx Courier Company and the Mumbai Crime Branch. The fraudsters concocted a narrative involving the seizure of illegal passports and credit cards under the victim’s name by Mumbai Customs.
In a bid to further their deception, the scammers conducted a video call via Skype, impersonating police officers and falsely accusing the victim of serious crimes, including money laundering and drug smuggling. They sent fabricated notices claiming illegal transactions worth Rs38 million had occurred in the victim’s accounts.
Fearing legal repercussions and threats, the victim was coerced into transferring “clearance money” to the fake officers. The criminals also subjected the victim to 24-hour audio-video surveillance through Skype, effectively placing him under a “digital arrest.” This psychological manipulation led the victim to transfer over Rs1.13 crore to the fraudsters’ accounts.
Responding swiftly, the STF formed a team under the leadership of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ankush Mishra. Their investigation traced the gang back to Kota, Rajasthan, resulting in the arrest of three suspects: Rakesh (30), Deepak Lakshkar (26), and Asif Ali (27). Police confiscated mobile phones, SIM cards, and Aadhaar cards from the arrested individuals.
Further investigations revealed that the gang targeted victims nationwide, masquerading as law enforcement officials and accusing them of serious crimes. The STF is also probing potential connections to a similar case filed at the Dwarka Cyber Police Station in Delhi.