Crime
‘Digital Arrest’ Epidemic: Kolkata Seniors Lose ₹1.1 Crore in 24 Hours
KOLKATA: A terrifying wave of “digital arrest” scams has gripped Kolkata, with the city police reporting three major cases in the last 24 hours involving a collective loss of ₹1.1 crore. The most recent victim, a 69-year-old resident of Picnic Garden, was duped of ₹23.7 lakh on Thursday. The fraudsters, posing as Mumbai Cyber Crime and CBI officials, kept the elderly man under “virtual detention” via WhatsApp for hours, claiming his Aadhaar was linked to a narcotics parcel.
The intimidation escalated with the use of forged CBI certificates and even death threats against the victim’s family. Similar incidents were reported from Bagbazar, where victims lost ₹51.5 lakh and ₹39 lakh respectively.
Kolkata Police’s Cyber Cell has issued an urgent advisory, noting a “disturbing trend” where criminals exploit the “generational trust in authority” among senior citizens. No government agency, the police clarified, conducts investigations via WhatsApp video calls or demands immediate fund transfers for “verification.”
