Kalaburagi doctor loses Rs 1.79 crore in digital arrest scam

A 67-year-old retired doctor in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, was defrauded of Rs 1.79 crore in a sophisticated ‘digital arrest’ scam. The fraud began on July 14 when the doctor’s wife received a call from an individual claiming to represent a courier company, alleging that an illegal parcel had been sent to Mumbai in her name.

The scammers subsequently impersonated officials from investigative agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), via WhatsApp video calls. They falsely accused the couple of involvement in money laundering and terror financing linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). To maintain the deception, the fraudsters invoked ‘national security’ and warned the couple not to disclose the matter to anyone.

Under the pressure of the fake investigation, the doctor liquidated fixed deposits, withdrew LIC funds, and took a personal loan of Rs 50 lakh against his house to transfer the total sum to the scammers. The victim only realized the fraud after his son, a software engineer, informed him about similar digital arrest schemes on August 21.