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Dehradun businessman loses ₹2.47 crore to cyber scammer via WhatsApp impersonation and digital house arrest

Sep 9, 2024Dehradun, India1 source

Summary

A Dehradun businessman lost Rs 2.47 crore in a cyber fraud case involving a 19-year-old scammer from Rajasthan. The victim received a phone call on September 9, 2024, from someone claiming to be from Mumbai Cyber Crime Police, falsely accusing him of criminal activity linked to his mobile number and Aadhaar. The scammer then subjected the victim to a seven-day "digital house arrest" via WhatsApp, impersonating a police officer and demanding money to avoid legal consequences. The victim complied with the scammer’s instructions from September 11 to 17, 2024, before realizing he had been defrauded. In October 2024, the victim filed a cyber complaint, leading to a four-month investigation by the Uttarakhand STF. The prime accused, Neeraj Bhatt, was arrested in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and police found a mobile phone and SIM card linked to the scam.

Incident Details

Domain
Fraud & Financial
Harm Types
AI-Powered Financial Fraud
Mechanism
conduct
Platforms
WhatsApp
Recipient
IndividualA businessman from Niranjanpur, Dehradun
Dimensions
economicpsychologicalautonomy

Sources

1
Dehradun Bizman Duped Of Rs 2.5 Crore: 19-YO 'Digital Arrest' Scammer Nabbed From Rajasthan - ETV Bharat
Google News Historical Backfill·Jan 20, 2025

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