Cyber Crime
How a House Help’s Observation Unraveled a Rs 20 Crore Digital Arrest Fraud: Read Here
MUMBAI: A domestic help at an elderly woman’s residence first noticed her unusual behavior before a shocking Rs 20 crore cyber fraud came to light. Concerned, he informed her daughter after observing that she remained locked in her room, occasionally yelling at someone and only stepping out for meals.
According to police, the elderly victim was targeted by fraudsters posing as officials from the CBI Crime Branch, Delhi. A man named Rao convinced her that a case had been filed against her, alleging her involvement in illegal activities. During a WhatsApp call, she was threatened with the arrest of her children and the freezing of their bank accounts unless she cooperated. The fraudsters even claimed an arrest and freeze warrant had been issued against her.
Now Open: Pan-India Registration for Scam Reporters & Fraud Investigators!
Under the guise of the ‘Digital India Movement’, they tricked her into believing that her case was under e-investigation, and that the police were monitoring her every move. They pressured her into revealing details of her bank accounts, family, business, mutual funds, and market investments over WhatsApp, warning her against discussing the situation with anyone. The accused, including one Rajiv Ranjan, who claimed to be from the finance department, called her daily for hours, issuing threats and sending fake Supreme Court notices. They convinced her to transfer all her funds to a “court account,” promising that the money would be returned after the probe.
Arrests and Investigation
An FIR was lodged on March 4, leading to the arrest of Shayan Shaikh (20) from Malad and Raziq Butt (20) from Mira Road. Investigations revealed that Rs 5 lakh was transferred to Shaikh’s account and Rs 9 lakh to another. Shaikh admitted to receiving Rs 10,000 for allowing his account to be used.
Butt, who had a Truecaller ID as ‘Dawood Ibrahim’, allegedly created a chat group with 12 foreign nationals and provided them with 14 Indian bank accounts. He then facilitated the conversion of stolen money into cryptocurrency, which was transferred to multiple wallets.
Two wanted accused, Rayan Shaikh and Adil Shaikh, were identified as key figures in laundering funds. Both were previously arrested by Pimpri-Chinchwad police in June 2024 for their involvement in a Rs 4 crore cyber fraud. The cyber police are continuing their investigation to track down other culprits linked to the syndicate.