Patna | Special Report | A disturbing case of cybercrime has emerged from East Champaran district in Bihar, where fraudsters exploited news of a missing child to extort thousands of rupees from the child’s family. In this incident, cybercriminals used information available on social media, technology, and psychological fear similar to so-called ‘digital arrest’ tactics. Police have confirmed the incident and said the case is now being registered as cyber fraud.
According to Motihari Sadar DSP Dilip Kumar, the case goes beyond financial loss and highlights how cybercriminals are increasingly weaponising human tragedy and emotional distress to target victims.
What Is the Case About
Originally residents of Dhaka Chandanbada (East Champaran), Firoz Alam and his wife Abu Nisa live in a rented house in Motihari for their children’s education. Firoz Alam works as a driver in Qatar. On the evening of 20 December, their 14-year-old son went out to play but did not return home till late night.
The family initially hoped the child would return on his own. When he did not, they arranged public announcements (miking) the next morning and lodged a complaint of kidnapping at the local police station. Friends and relatives also shared a post regarding the child’s disappearance on Facebook.
This Is Where the Fraudsters Entered
According to the family, shortly after the social media post went viral, they received three phone calls. One call came from a local number, while two others were from numbers beginning with +44. These calls were received on the phones of the child’s uncle and mother.
DSP Dilip Kumar said the local caller may have actually come in contact with the child, but the call was not answered. The subsequent calls, however, were made by cyber fraudsters. While the uncle did not trust the callers, the mother panicked after receiving a video call.
Video Call, Threats and Ransom
The child’s maternal uncle Mohammad Azam said the video call showed a man with his face fully covered, speaking in Hindi commonly associated with the Delhi-Mumbai belt. During the call, a child was shown from a distance, and the caller brandished a knife, threatening to kill the child.
In a state of fear, the parents believed the child shown was indeed their son. The fraudsters demanded ₹50,000. Under pressure, the family transferred the money to the account shared by the callers. However, even after two hours, the child did not return.
The fraudsters later called again, claiming they had changed the child’s clothes and cut his hair—a tactic meant to further confuse and terrify the family. When a second demand for money was made, the family grew suspicious and immediately approached the police.
Child Found Safe, Fraud Exposed
On 22 December, the child’s mother received a call from Muzaffarpur. The caller was a street vendor, with whom the child had reached while wandering. The child himself gave his mother’s number to the vendor and asked him to call.
Police were informed, and the child was safely reunited with his family. Investigation revealed that the child had left home on his own out of fear of being beaten by his mother.
DSP Dilip Kumar said that while an abduction case had initially been registered against unknown persons, it is now being converted into a cyber fraud case. The bank account to which the money was transferred is reportedly based in Hyderabad, and efforts are underway to identify the account holder and take legal action.
CPT Assessment: Fear Is the Biggest Weapon in ‘Digital Arrest’-Like Scams
According to an assessment by the Center for Police Technology (CPT), there has been a sharp rise in cybercrime cases where criminals exploit emergencies, child safety concerns and emotional vulnerability of families.
CPT notes that the use of terms like digital arrest creates an illusion of an immediate legal crisis, causing victims to lose rational judgment and make hurried financial decisions. Publicly available information and social media posts, the organisation warns, often become a ready-made toolkit for fraudsters.
Family Demands Strict Punishment
Mohammad Azam said that while the child’s safe return has brought relief, exploiting a family’s distress for financial gain is deeply inhuman. He has demanded strict punishment for the culprits so that no other family becomes a victim of such a crime.
