A young man from Bettiah in Bihar was digitally held hostage for over three hours and duped of ₹85,000 by cybercriminals who posed as police officials from Mumbai. The victim, Deepu Kumar, a resident of Machhargaon in Yogapatti, has filed a complaint with the Cyber Police, following which an FIR has been registered and an investigation launched.
Obscene Messages, False FIRs, and a Fake Police Warrant
The ordeal began on the afternoon of May 13, when Deepu received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an officer from Colaba Police Station in Mumbai and accused Deepu of sending obscene messages to girls. He claimed that over 20 cases had been registered against Deepu and that a warrant for his arrest had been issued.
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Deepu denied the allegations, stating the number in question wasn’t his. However, the caller escalated the threat by reading out Deepu’s Aadhaar number, suggesting that they had access to his personal data. What followed was a carefully orchestrated scam involving multiple impersonators posing as officials from CBI, Telecom Authority, RBI, and Anti-Money Laundering Units.
Conference Calls, Background Noise, and Fear Tactics
To lend authenticity, the scammers initiated a WhatsApp conference call involving fake officials who grilled Deepu with questions. In the background, police sirens, wireless chatter, and vehicle noises played, creating an atmosphere of urgency and panic.
The scammers accused Deepu of cyber harassment, money laundering, and identity misuse, threatening him with arrest and legal action. Believing he was truly under investigation and fearing police action, Deepu was mentally cornered. The scammers prevented him from disconnecting the call or contacting anyone else, effectively keeping him under a “digital arrest” for three hours and ten minutes.
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Extortion and Realization of Fraud
In the guise of helping him “match a transaction” and clear his name, the scammers instructed Deepu to transfer ₹85,000 through a pay phone interface to a bank account they controlled. Only after the amount was debited did Deepu realize he had been cheated. He promptly visited his bank and had his account put on hold to prevent further losses, and later approached the Cyber Police Station in Bettiah.
DSP Gautam Sharan Omi of the Cyber Police confirmed that an FIR has been registered based on Deepu’s complaint and an investigation is underway. Authorities suspect the scam is part of a larger network of cybercriminals operating pan-India, using social media, stolen identities, and intimidation tactics to extort money from unsuspecting individuals.