Fraudsters target Indore crime chief, panic during video call
What's the story
Scammers targeted Rajesh Dandotiya, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) of the Indore Crime Branch, on Sunday. The incident took place around 2:00 pm when Dandotiya was seated in his office. He received an automated call stating a fraudulent transaction of ₹1,11,930 had been made using his credit card. The caller also warned an FIR had been filed and his bank account would be frozen within two hours.
Fraudster tactics
Scammers impersonate banking officials and police officers
The scammers first posed as banking officials and later impersonated police officers. They claimed Dandotiya's Aadhaar card was misused and a case was registered against him at Mumbai's Andheri West police station. They forced him to visit the police station within two hours. However, Dandotiya decided to play along with the scammers, telling them he hadn't been to Mumbai in over 10 years and couldn't travel there immediately.
Scammer retreat
Scammers panic upon seeing Dandotiya in a police uniform
The scammers then tried to put Dandotiya in touch with a senior officer. However, when they video-called him to record his statement, they panicked upon seeing him in his police uniform and disconnected the call immediately. "I immediately knew it was a fraud attempt. I decided to record the interaction to make people aware of such digital scams," Dandotiya explained during a press briefing.
Public awareness
Dandotiya exposes scam tactics to educate public
Dandotiya said he kept the conversation going deliberately to bust their modus operandi and inform people about such scams. This particular incident sheds light on a common scam modus operandi called 'digital arrest,' where cyber criminals impersonate law enforcement officials to extort money from their targets under the pretext of a fake arrest. The officer's presence of mind gave valuable insights into how such scams work.