A 54-year-old doctor lost Rs31.56 lakh after falling prey to the digital arrest fraud. Frightening him with fake notices issued in the names of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the scammers trapped him, saying that his involvement has been suspected in harassment of women and money laundering. He was made to give hourly updates about his location to the fraudsters.

According to the police, the Jalgaon resident received a phone call from an unknown woman on December 31, 2024. Claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, she told him that the Bandra police had booked a case against a phone number issued in his name. While the doctor was yet to process the episode, a fake cop made a video call to him on WhatsApp.

The fraudster told the complainant that the number issued in his name was used to harass women by sending obscene videos, said the police. The fake cop also said that an account had been opened in the doctor's name, which was used for money laundering, they added.To further terrify the doctor, the scammers shared bogus police complaints, and ED and CBI notices with him.

Between January 3 and 9, the gang coerced him to dip into his mutual funds, shares and fixed deposits and made him transfer Rs31.56 lakh. Later, when they inquired about the bank balances and investments of his family members, the doctor finally realised the fraud.