UP Model Falls Prey To 'Digital Arrest' Scam For Two Hours, Loses Rs 99,000

A model was allegedly digitally arrested by cybercriminals for two hours here and lost ₹ 99,000, police said on Wednesday.

'Digital arrest' is a new cyber fraud, where the accused poses as law enforcement agency officials, like CBI or customs officials, and threatens people of arrest by making video calls in the name of fake international parcels of banned drugs or being involved in money laundering cases, they said.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/shivankitadixit10394/

Shivankita Dixit, who claims to be a former Femina Miss India, West Bengal 2017, told the police that on Tuesday she received a WhatsApp call from the accused who threatened her with charges of receiving illicit funds tied to cases of human trafficking and drug trafficking, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lohamandi) Mayank Tiwari said.

The accused posed as CBI officers and told her to transfer Rs 99,000 to avoid arrest. She complied and made the payment, ACP Tiwari said.

Following this, she told her family and realised that she had fallen victim to a cyber scam. An FIR has been registered and further investigation is underway, ACP Tiwari added.