Karnataka ex-BJP MLA falls for 'digital arrest' fraud; loses ₹31L
What's the story
Gundappa Vakil, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Karnataka's Aurad, has been duped of nearly ₹30.99 lakh in a digital arrest scam. The fraudsters impersonated officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI), Enforcement Directorate(ED), and even a judge. They falsely linked Vakil to a money laundering case involving Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal and subjected him to a "digital arrest."
Scam tactics
Fraudsters staged fake online court hearing
The scammers warned Vakil against disconnecting their call and even staged a fake online court hearing to make their claims believable. Believing the fraudsters, Vakil transferred ₹10 lakh initially and later another ₹20 lakh for a property-related investigation. He was promised that the money would be returned after the investigation was complete, but it never was.
Ongoing investigation
Case registered, probe underway
After Vakil lodged a complaint, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) Cyber Crime Police in Bengaluru registered a case and are probing the matter. This incident comes two months after a BESCOM contract employee died by suicide in the Ramanagara district due to extortion by cyber fraudsters. The employee was found hanging from a tree with a detailed suicide note.
Suicide case
BESCOM employee transferred ₹11 lakh before suicide
In the suicide note, the BESCOM employee stated that a person named Vikram Goswami had called him, posing as a CBI official and threatening him with an arrest warrant. He said the caller demanded payments to avoid "digital arrest" and provided several account numbers. The employee transferred ₹11 lakh in total before taking his own life.