A software engineer in Bengaluru fell victim to a massive digital arrest scam, losing a staggering ₹11.8 crore in just 18 days. The engineer, a 39-year-old resident of GKVK Layout near Hebbal, lodged a complaint with the North-East CEN police station on December 12.
According to the complaint, the fraud occurred between November 25 and December 12. The software engineer’s loss is one of the largest reported cases of cybercrime in the city, highlighting the growing concern about digital scams targeting unsuspecting individuals.
The police noted that the amount lost in this case is significantly higher than usual in such scams. According to the authorities, the victim’s ordeal started on November 11 when he received a call from an individual claiming to be a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officer, alleging that a SIM card linked to the victim’s Aadhaar was being used for sending illegal advertisements and harassment messages and that a case had been registered at Colaba Cyber Police Station in Mumbai.
The victim was subsequently contacted by another individual claiming to be a police officer, who alleged that the victim’s Aadhaar was being misused for money laundering through the opening of bank accounts. The caller instructed the victim to maintain confidentiality, citing the involvement of influential individuals who had already been arrested for similar offenses. The victim was also threatened with physical arrest if he failed to cooperate with the purported “virtual investigation”.
Soon after, another caller instructed the victim to download the Skype app, following which a person claiming to be a representative of the Mumbai police, dressed in uniform, video-called the victim. The “representative” alleged that businessman Naresh Goyal had used the victim’s Aadhaar to open a Canara Bank account, through which transactions worth ₹6 crore had been made.
On November 25, a person claiming to be a senior police officer contacted the victim via Skype, stating that the case was being heard in the Supreme Court. The victim was threatened with the arrest of his family if he failed to comply. The scammers then allegedly cited a fake RBI guideline, convincing the victim to transfer funds to designated accounts under the pretext of “verification purposes”.
Ultimately, fearing repercussions, the victim transferred ₹75 lakh and then ₹3.41 crore to accounts controlled by the scammers. By December 12, he had allegedly lost a total of ₹11.8 crore. As the demands for money continued, the victim finally realized he had been scammed and notified authorities.
A case has been registered by the police under the Information Technology Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by impersonation).
As of November 30, 2024, Bengaluru has reported a significant loss of ₹1,806 crore to cybercrimes. Notably, despite a decrease in the number of cases compared to the previous year, the total amount lost has increased by a substantial 168%, averaging a daily loss of ₹5.40 crore.
The police reported that out of the total ₹1,806 crore lost to cybercrime, accounts holding ₹611 crore have been frozen, and a significant amount of ₹122 crore has been recovered. Notably, this recovery is the highest achieved by the Bengaluru city police in connection with cybercrime cases.
According to a police officer, Bengaluru is likely to witness an all-time high in cybercrimes this year, similar to the previous year. In 2023, the city reported 17,632 cybercrimes, while in the first 11 months of 2024, 16,357 cases were recorded, averaging 48 cases daily. Notably, digital arrest cases have seen a significant surge, from zero cases in 2022 to 403 cases in 2023, and further increasing to 1,417 cases this year.
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