A senior professor at the Government Engineering College in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, has become the latest victim of a cyber fraud, falling prey to a digital arrest scam that resulted in the loss of 88 lakh rupees. Over a 26-day period, the professor was coerced into transferring funds by criminals who used threats of human trafficking and money laundering. The professor has since reported the incident to the police, who are conducting an investigation.
The police have stated that cybercriminals often use fake calls and video calls to deceive and intimidate people. In this instance, 62-year-old Santosh Karmakar, a professor from Purani Basti, was targeted with phone and WhatsApp calls. The criminals, posing as Bangalore police officers, falsely claimed that his Aadhaar card had been misused. They then threatened him with digital arrest, successfully stealing 88 lakh rupees from his bank accounts. The police had earlier suspected something was amiss, but the professor initially denied being a victim.