Kolkata retiree loses ₹1.09 crore in digital arrest scam; 3 nabbed in Odisha

Three individuals have been arrested from Odisha for allegedly defrauding a Dumdum Park resident of ₹1.09 crore by threatening him with digital arrest. The Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police conducted the arrests based on a complaint filed by the victim, a retired individual, who stated that he was manipulated into transferring his entire retirement benefit across multiple transactions.

According to the complaint, on July 7 at 1:45 PM, the man received a call from the number 8005378023. The caller claimed to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and informed him that a mobile number had been issued using his Aadhaar credentials. The caller alleged that the number was being used for illegal activities and warned him of an impending arrest. Between July 10 and July 16, the victim transferred ₹1.09 crore in five RTGS transactions. After each payment, he received what appeared to be Enforcement Directorate (ED) receipts from the accused.

Following investigation of transaction records and digital evidence, the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police tracked the suspects to Odisha. The three arrested individuals have been brought to Kolkata for further interrogation. Authorities are continuing the investigation to identify whether more individuals or similar rackets are involved.