CYBER CRIME

A retired professor from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) fell victim to a major cyber scam, losing over ₹75 lakh to fraudsters posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. The criminals put her under ‘digital arrest’ for 10 days, threatening her with false charges, according to the police. The victim, professor of AMU Qamar Jahan, lodged an FIR on Friday, prompting the police to alert banks and take immediate action. Investigators revealed that the stolen money was routed through 21 different bank accounts. Thanks to timely intervention, transactions worth ₹13 lakh were blocked, preventing further losses. Inspector VD Panday, who is leading the investigation, explained that the victim was kept under a “digital arrest,” where the fraudsters posed as law enforcement officials and pressured her into paying large sums to avoid arrest. ‘Digital arrest’ is an emerging form of cybercrime where scammers pretend to be officers from agencies like the CBI, Customs, or ED. They make video calls to victims, accusing them of being involved in fake money laundering or drug-related cases, then demand money to settle the charges. Jahan first received a call on September 28, when the scammers pretended to be from the ED. They falsely claimed she was involved in a money laundering case and insisted she deposit money into court accounts to avoid arrest. Over the next few days, she transferred more than ₹75 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. However, two days ago, Jahan realized she had been tricked and immediately filed a complaint with the police. The police have reported a rise in similar ‘digital arrest’ scams across the state in recent weeks. They have issued advisories, warning the public that there is no legal provision for ‘digital arrest’ and urging people to stay vigilant against such scams. for more updates follow ANN MEDIA on facebook , X , Instagram and Linkedin