Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Sep 15: A man lost Rs 89 lac to online fraudsters who threatened him with a virtual arrest warrant via a video call.

Santhosh Kumar, a resident of Udupi, fell victim to the scam. On September 11, Santhosh received a call from the number +918822309328, where the caller claimed to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The fraudster informed him that 17 FIRs had been filed against him for obscene advertisements and harassment through messages on his mobile phone. The caller also warned that all his contact numbers would be blocked within two hours due to an impending arrest warrant.

The fraudster then switched to WhatsApp and appeared dressed as a police officer, introducing himself as a cyber inspector from Andheri East, Mumbai. He falsely implicated Santhosh's bank account in a money laundering case involving Naresh Goyal. The caller demanded verification of Santhosh's source of income.

Subsequently, the scammer obtained details of Santhosh's bank accounts and asked him to transfer the money to an SBI account under the pretense of RBI fund verification. The fraudster provided the account details of the Civil Lines Branch, Nagpur (account number 43280321955, IFSC code SBIN 0011519) and stated that Santhosh would remain under virtual arrest until the verification was completed.

Santhosh Kumar transferred Rs 89 lac, but when the caller abruptly cut off communication, he realized he had been scammed. He promptly filed a complaint at the CEN police station.