CBI Arrests Two In Rs 11.4 Crore Digital Arrest Scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken action in major digital arrest scam cases following Supreme Court directions. In one case, a Gujarat victim was allegedly held under digital arrest for three months and coerced into transferring Rs 11.4 crore. In another case, a 78-year-old retired Delhi banker was allegedly swindled out of nearly Rs 23 crore after being kept confined to his home for over a month. Fraudsters in these networks impersonated law enforcement officials, telecom regulators, and judicial authorities through video calls and intimidation, convincing targets to transfer substantial sums under the guise of legal compliance.

Investigators launched coordinated actions, including raids across multiple locations under Operation Chakra-VI. The CBI arrested two individuals identified as key operatives in the Gujarat case who allegedly received, layered, and dispersed crime proceeds through mule accounts and corporate entities like Hexaquest Global Pvt Ltd. In the Delhi banker case, authorities arrested a Siliguri-based trust manager and filed a chargesheet against him and his company, Securing World Social and Economic Development Council, which allegedly received the stolen funds.

According to reports, the scams involved elaborate psychological manipulation, including fake notices, threats of arrest, warnings against telling family members, and the issuance of forged Reserve Bank of India certificates to deceive victims. Forensic examinations of seized digital devices revealed malicious APK files and incriminating chats. Authorities are continuing their investigations to dismantle the wider technological infrastructure of these syndicates and apprehend remaining members involved in the pan-India cyber fraud networks.

Not yet reported: The articles do not specify the final judicial outcomes or the exact total number of accomplices still at large across the entire syndicate.