In a significant breakthrough, the Vizianagaram One Town Police have successfully cracked a digital arrest scam, leading to the arrest of five individuals involved in the fraudulent scheme. The police recovered Rs10 lakh in cash and gold ornaments worth Rs9.20 lakh during their investigation.
The scam was exposed after U. Sujatha Kumari, a retired lecturer from Vizianagaram, filed a complaint about being duped of Rs40.11 lakh. On October 10, 2024, Sujatha received a call from a person posing as a police officer. The caller falsely informed her that drugs had been found in a parcel allegedly sent by her, and that she was under digital arrest. To avoid legal consequences, the caller instructed her to transfer a large sum of money, assuring her that the amount would be refunded after verification.
Following her complaint, the police acted swiftly, freezing Rs20 lakh in the suspected bank accounts. A special team led by One Town Inspector S. Srinivas used advanced technological tools to trace the fraudulent transactions and identify the suspects involved.
The primary accused, Mumin Tariq Bhat from Jammu and Kashmir, admitted to renting out his bank account to cybercriminals in exchange for a commission. His confession led the police to further arrests, including Khasiddhi Chandrakant Sutar, Clevin Glen Britto, Nitin Nandalal Saroj, and Saif Talami Damand from Maharashtra. The group is believed to have used Telegram to coordinate their cyber fraud activities.
The authorities have connected this gang to multiple fraud cases across India, where they tricked individuals with the digital arrest ruse. In addition to the seized cash and gold, police also recovered six mobile phones from the suspects.
According to SP Vakul Jindal, while three additional accomplices are still on the run, they are under close surveillance, and further investigations are ongoing.
