Digital arrest: Ex-Army officer duped of Rs 82L

In yet another case of cyber fraud, a retired Major General residing in Panchkula was duped of over Rs 82 lakh by some persons posing as police personnel. The octogenarian was put under ‘digital arrest’ and coerced into transferring money into a bank account registered in Surat, Gujarat.

In a complaint to the police, Major General Prabodh Chander Puri (retd), who lives in Sector 20 here, stated that on October 15, he received a call from an unknown number, telling him that his number was being excessively used following which the call was transferred to ‘customer service’. Later, he was told that a mobile number registered in his name and bought from Connaught Place in New Delhi was being used to threaten individuals.

The caller then told Major General Puri that he would be connected to the police. A person, identifying himself as Sub-Inspector Mishra, apprised him of the misuse of the number and further connected him to the cyber cell.

“On getting connected further, a person, who identified himself as Sub-Inspector Roshan, told me that the mobile number bought in my name was used to launder money to the tune of Rs 80 lakh. The fraudster contacted me through video call and showed the set-up around him, which bore the look of a police station. The scammer did not break contact with me and asked me to stay on the video call. After quoting some IPC provisions, he transferred the call to someone identifying himself as Kashyap from the CBI,” Puri said.

The retired army officer revealed that he was asked about his as well her financial details. “They also sent me a document stating my crime and made me read it while asking me to maintain confidentiality of the matter. The next day, they sent a photo of an alleged criminal, who was allegedly misusing the number on my name, on my wife’s phone.

Eventually, they coerced me to withdraw fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) in my wife’s name into a savings account of the Sector 20 branch of Bank of India. I proceeded to the branch with phone on the video call mode where I was instructed to close the 20 FDRs, amounting to over Rs 83 lakh. After this, I was told to deposit Rs 82 lakh in a private bank in the name of Makwana Sandip Mohanbhai registered in Surat and take a receipt. The video call went till evening that day and the next day, I was supposed to take a flight to meet my son, also in the Army. I was ensured that the amount will be refunded in some hours and was thanked for resolving a crime,” he stated.

The next morning, he again received a call and was asked about his well-being. When Puri enquired about the money, he was told that he will be made to talk to Kashyap in sometime. Later, he was told that Kashyap had gone to Mumbai. Thereafter, there was no communication from their side, the complainant stated.

The police have registered a case under Sections 316 (2), 318 (4), 336 (3), 338 and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and started an investigation into it.