Digital arrest scam: Odisha Police busts cyber fraud gang in Gujarat, 4 arrested

Photo: OTV

Odisha Police busts cyber fraud gang in Gujarat

In a major breakthrough, Jharsuguda Police busted a cyber fraud gang in Gujarat. As many as four cyber frauds of the gang were arrested for their involvement in sophisticated ‘Digital Arrest’ scam in which they mainly targeted elderly victims.

The cyber frauds were arrested following months of investigation, five months of tracking and multiple raids in as many as four states.

As many as 20 mobile phones, three computers and net cash worth Rs 2 lakh have been seized from the possession of the cyber fraudsters. A bank account with Rs 17 lakh has also been frozen.

Cash worth Rs 17 lakh has been recovered and reverted to the bank accounts of the victims. Moreover, the office of the fraudsters in Surat has been sealed where the cybercriminals orchestrated their plan.

The criminals were mainly targeting vulnerable elderly individuals, particularly those living alone and with significant bank savings.

Also Read: Commissionerate Police nabs 5 cyber criminals for defrauding people 

The fraudsters posed as senior officers from law enforcement agencies, contacting victims through Skype calls. Claiming the victim’s name was linked to a money laundering investigation; they issued threats and looted money from their accounts.

Also Read: ‘Digital arrest’, latest weapon in cybercriminals’ arsenal in Odisha

They coerced victims into compliance, declaring them under ‘Digital Arrest’ and demanding immediate transactions to avoid severe legal consequences. The fraudsters used many UPI IDs (Google Pay and PhonePe) to quickly transfer funds. Money was being dispersed in small amounts across multiple accounts to evade detection.