Businessman loses over Rs 15 cr in 'digital arrest' scam
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 81-year-old businessman here allegedly lost over Rs 15 crore in a "digital arrest scam" after fraudsters posing as CBI officials accused him of involvement in a financial crime, police said on Sunday.
According to officials, the senior citizen received multiple calls, including video calls, for nearly six weeks.
The fraudsters claimed that the victim had received a Rs 5 lakh commission for laundering Rs 25 lakh and that complaints have been filed against him for illegal financial activities.
Threatening to arrest him in a money laundering case, they coerced the victim into sharing his account and financial details with them and transferring the money to a "safe or government account".
They assured him that amont would be returned after the investigation.
The victim grew suspicious as he received no communication from the callers and found all mobile numbers untraceable, following which he complained to the police last week.
The Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police station officials, who investigated the case, traced the account to which the money was transferred and recovered only Rs 90 lakh.
The Belagavi Police Commissioner has constituted a special team to trace and arrest the culprits.
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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