Retired Officer in Yadgir Loses ₹10 Lakh to ‘Digital Arrest' Scam

Yadgir: A retired state government employee lost ₹10 lakh to cybercriminals after being held under ‘digital arrest’ for 12 days in Karnataka’s Yadgir district, police reported on Tuesday.

The victim, a former officer of Krishna Jal Bhagya Nigam Limited (KJBNL) at the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) camp in Shahapur taluk, filed a complaint at the Cybercrime, Economic Offences, and Narcotics (CEN) police station in Yadgir.

How the Scam Unfolded

The fraudsters, impersonating Mumbai Crime Branch officers, contacted the victim via video call and falsely accused her of being involved in a money laundering case linked to criminal Naresh Goyal. They demanded immediate access to her bank accounts, passbooks, Aadhaar, and PAN details, threatening legal action if she failed to comply.

Fearing consequences, the victim shared all her documents. The scammers later informed her that Naresh Goyal had been arrested and coerced her into transferring ₹10 lakh to multiple accounts.

The digital extortion lasted from January 26 to February 7, with cybercriminals making frequent threatening calls.

This is the first reported case of ‘digital arrest’ fraud in Yadgir district. On Monday, a software engineer in Bengaluru lost ₹11 crore in a similar scam, police confirmed.

How to Stay Safe from ‘Digital Arrest’ Scams

✔️ Police do not initiate legal cases online or demand money.
✔️ The term ‘digital arrest’ is fake—Indian law does not recognize it.
✔️ Never share banking details, OTPs, or documents over phone calls.
✔️ If threatened, report the incident to cybercrime authorities immediately.

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