Delhi Police Arrests Three in International Digital Arrest Scam
New Delhi, September 25, 2024: The Delhi Police Special Cell’s IFSO Unit has arrested three individuals for their involvement in a digital arrest scam. The suspects, Prabhat Kumar, Rajesh Kumar (alias Raja), and Arjun Singh, were allegedly running fake companies to siphon off funds abroad.
How the Scam Worked
On September 12, 2024, a complaint was filed by a victim who received a call on September 9, 2024, from someone claiming to be a Customs Officer at Mumbai Airport. The caller falsely informed her that a parcel containing fake passports, ATM cards, and drugs was intercepted with her details as the sender. She was threatened with arrest and pressured to transfer funds to avoid charges.
Investigation and Arrest
The police registered a case and began investigating. Through mobile and bank account analysis, they identified the suspects and traced them to Burari. Prabhat and Rajesh were found to be the proprietors of Camellia Services Pvt. Ltd., used to funnel the defrauded funds. Arjun Singh facilitated the opening of fraudulent bank accounts.
Seizure and Recovery
During the investigation, the police seized passbooks, chequebooks, and company banners. They also froze Rs 20 lakhs in an HDFC bank account, which the court ordered to be returned to the victim.
Modus Operandi
The syndicate impersonated officials from various government bodies, threatening victims with arrest and severe penalties. They later adopted a sympathetic tone, suggesting a case of mistaken identity, and instructed victims to transfer their savings for ‘verification,’ falsely promising refunds.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi Police -: Delhi Police is the law enforcement agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. They help keep people safe and catch criminals.
Special Cell -: Special Cell is a special unit within the Delhi Police that deals with serious crimes like terrorism and organized crime.
IFSO Unit -: IFSO stands for Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations. It’s a part of the Delhi Police that focuses on cyber crimes and digital frauds.
digital arrest scam -: A digital arrest scam is when criminals use the internet to trick people into thinking they will be arrested unless they pay money.
siphon funds -: Siphon funds means to illegally take money from one place and move it to another, often secretly.
Rs 55 lakhs -: Rs 55 lakhs is a large amount of money in Indian currency, equal to 5.5 million rupees.
freezing Rs 20 lakhs -: Freezing Rs 20 lakhs means stopping the money from being moved or used, usually by locking the bank account.
syndicate -: A syndicate is a group of people who work together, often secretly, to do something illegal.
impersonated officials -: Impersonated officials means pretending to be someone important, like a police officer, to trick people.