Munish sood
Mandi
A retired couple in Nalagarh were allegedly duped of Rs 72.10 lakh after cyber fraudsters placed them under a two-day “digital arrest” and threatened them with action in a fabricated case involving alleged terrorist activities.
The incident came to light after documents sent by the couple to the fraudsters were inadvertently shared in a local pensioners’ group.
According to the complaint, the couple received a call on September 5 from a man claiming to be NIA chief Prakash Agrawal. He allegedly told them that their Aadhaar details had been used in a Canara Bank account linked to terrorist activities and that they were under the radar of security agencies.
The fraudsters allegedly took details of the couple’s bank accounts, Aadhaar and PAN cards and instructed them not to disclose the matter to anyone. They subsequently demanded Rs 72.10 lakh as a security deposit, assuring the couple that they would be cleared of the alleged charges after the money was deposited.
Acting on the instructions, the couple went to a Punjab National Bank branch in Nalagarh and broke their fixed deposits to arrange the money. However, bank manager Saurabh Mokta reportedly sensed something was wrong and spent around 30 minutes trying to dissuade them from making the transfer.
Despite the warning, the couple allegedly told the bank that they needed the money to purchase property and proceeded with the transaction. The entire amount was subsequently transferred to an account provided by the fraudsters.
The matter surfaced when a letter from the couple seeking help was circulated in the pensioners’ group. PNB’s retired manager Ashwani Ghai later visited their residence and, after speaking to them, learnt about the alleged fraud. He informed the bank, but by then the money had reportedly been moved from the account.
The couple have now lodged a complaint through the 1930 cybercrime helpline, and further investigation is underway.
The case is another example of the growing “digital arrest” scam, in which fraudsters impersonate senior police or investigating agency officials and use threats of arrest and fabricated criminal cases to force victims into transferring their savings.
