Cyber Police Kashmir foils ‘Digital Arrest Scam’, Recovers Rs 4.13 lakh, Arrests non-local trio
Srinagar, Nov 29, KNT: The Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone has cracked down on a sophisticated digital arrest scam, arresting three non-local perpetrators and recovering Rs 4.13 lakh of the defrauded amount.
This was informed by the Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Imtiyaz Hussain during a press conference today.
SSP Imtiyaz Hussain said that the fraudsters under the ‘Digital Arrest Scam’ targeted a senior Srinagar citizen, coercing him into transferring Rs 21 lakh.
He said the fraudsters impersonated officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Central Bureau of Investigation, accusing the victim of money laundering involving Rs 6.8 crores. “They issued fake arrest warrants and penalties, manipulating him into transferring funds through psychological manipulation. The scammers claimed conversations were a “national secret,” instructed the victim to lock his house, avoid communication, and falsely promised a refund within hours.”
SSP Srinagar said that upon receiving the complaint, Cyber Police Kashmir registered an FIR vide number 26/2024 and initiated a swift investigation. “Leveraging advanced technical tools, they identified the culprits and conducted raids in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab. The operation led to the arrests of Gaurav Kumar from Shamli, UP, Gurpreet Singh and Ujjawal Chauhan from Patiala, Punjab.”
“During the raids, police seized four mobile phones, a MacBook, 13 SIM cards, 24 debit cards, 20 cheque books, 10 passbooks, and other incriminating materials. The accused face charges of fraud, conspiracy, and coercion,” he said.
SSP Srinagar advised people to make elderly people aware at home about this scam. He said there is nothing like ‘Digital Arrest.’ He advised citizens to exercise extreme caution when sharing sensitive financial information.
He said legitimate government agencies never conduct investigations or arrests via video calls, demand payments, or request sensitive data over the phone. “Verify the identity of callers claiming to represent official authorities and report suspicious activities to the nearest Cyber Police station or cybercrime helplines immediately.” [KNT]
