New Delhi: Digital scams have become increasingly common with many victims falling prey to such tactics. In a recent update, a 25 year old student from IIT Bombay lost Rs 7.29 lakh to scammers who posed as employees of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The scammer falsely accused the student of money laundering and threatened him with serious consequences unless he paid up. 


How Digital Arrest Scam Began


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This scam started in July when a student received a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be a TRAI officer and stated that 17 complaints had been filed against the student's mobile number for illegal activities. The caller further mentioned that in order to prevent the number from being deactivated, the student would need to obtain a police No Objection Certificate (NOC).


Video Call with the Student


The scammer transferred the call to another person who appeared as a police officer on a WhatsApp video call. This person accused the student of being involved in money laundering and asked for the student's Aadhar card number. The scammer then pressured the student to transfer Rs 29,500 via UPI to avoid arrest.


Scammer Withdrew 7 Lakh Rupees


The scammer told the student that they couldn't contact anyone. The next day, the student received another call from the scammer who demanded even more money. The student shared their bank account details, and the scammers withdrew Rs 7 lakh.


Student Realised He Was Scammed


After receiving the money, the scammer assured the student that they were safe and would not be arrested. It was only later, when the student learned about the digital arrest scam that they realized they had been scammed. The student then filed a complaint with the police.


What is ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam?


The "Digital Arrest" scam is a type of cybercrime where scammers pretend to be police or government officials. They use audio or video calls to scare victims into paying money, often by making false threats.