IIT Bombay Student Loses Rs 7.29 Lakh in Digital Arrest Scam by Fraudster Posing as TRAI Employee

A student from IIT Bombay was defrauded of Rs 7.29 lakh by a scammer pretending to be a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) official. The fraudster intimidated the student with threats of a "digital arrest," coercing him into transferring the money, according to police reports on Tuesday.

Digital arrest is an emerging cyber fraud tactic where scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials. They intimidate victims through audio or video calls, pressuring them to make payments by holding them hostage virtually. This method has been increasingly used to exploit unsuspecting individuals.

Fraudulent Call and Threats

The 25-year-old victim received a call in July from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be a TRAI employee, stating that 17 complaints of illegal activities were linked to the student's mobile number. An official from the Powai police station in Mumbai provided these details.

The caller insisted that the victim needed a no objection certificate (NOC) from the police to avoid deactivation of his number. He then transferred the call to someone posing as a Cyber Crime Branch officer. During a WhatsApp video call, a man dressed as a police officer demanded the student's Aadhaar number, accusing him of money laundering.

Coercion and Financial Loss

The scammer coerced the student into transferring Rs 29,500 via unified payments interface (UPI). The fraudster then threatened him with digital arrest, forbidding him from contacting anyone. The next day, they demanded more money, leading the victim to share his bank account details.

This allowed the fraudsters to siphon off Rs 7 lakh from his account. After receiving the money, they assured him he was safe and would not face arrest. Realising he had been scammed after researching digital arrest online, the student reported the incident to the police.

The student lodged a complaint against the unidentified fraudsters with the police. Authorities are investigating this case of cybercrime, which highlights the growing threat of digital scams targeting individuals through fear and intimidation tactics.