A 79-year-old man from Padanayarkulangara, Kollam, lost ₹3.72 crore after falling victim to a “virtual arrest” scam. Fraudsters, posing as telecom staff and Mumbai Cyber Police officers, tricked him through WhatsApp and video calls by showing a fake arrest warrant and claiming that a bank account in his name was linked to illegal activities.
Under pressure, the victim was told he was under “virtual arrest” and forced to appear before a “virtual court.” Threatened with property seizure and account freezes, he was coerced into transferring money for so-called “verification.” Between July 23 and August 29, he transferred funds across 17 transactions, only to realize later that he had been cheated.
The Kollam Cyber Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act and are working to freeze the beneficiary accounts. Officials have warned citizens to stay alert against such scams, stressing: never share OTPs, never transfer money on unsolicited calls, and report suspicious activity immediately.
