A fourth-year engineering student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi fell victim to a cyber fraud scheme, losing Rs 4.33 lakh after being placed under a so-called “digital arrest.” This was stated in a report by Hindustan Times.The accused, identified as 29-year-old Madan Lal, was tracked down and arrested in Chennai, police officials said on Thursday, February 6.
According to the investigation, the fraudster withdrew the swindled money from ATMs, converted it into US dollars and cryptocurrency, and sold them at higher rates to a Chinese national, receiving payments through bank transfers.
The scam began on November 16 last year when the student received a phone call from an individual claiming to be from a courier service. The caller falsely informed him that a suspicious package under his name was being shipped from Mumbai to Beijing. When the student denied any involvement, he was advised to report the matter to the police. The call was then transferred to a person posing as an officer from Gamdevi Police Station in Mumbai, officials said.
The fraudsters escalated the deception by impersonating police and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, falsely accusing the student of criminal activities.
"When the student denied any knowledge of the parcel, the caller advised him to report the issue to the police and transferred the call to an alleged officer at Gamdevi Police Station, Mumbai," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary.
Threatening the student with claims that an arrest warrant had been issued in his name, the scammers manipulated his fear and coerced him into transferring money to multiple bank accounts under the guise of proving his innocence. In a panic, the student sent Rs 4.33 lakh between November 16 and 18 through several online transactions.
Realising he had been duped, the student later approached the police and lodged a complaint. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, leading to an extensive investigation.
Upon tracking the money trail and analysing digital evidence, investigators discovered that a foreign number from Hong Kong had been used to contact the victim. Further scrutiny revealed that a portion of the stolen money had been deposited in a bank account linked to Tejpal Sharma from Rai Singh Nagar, Rajasthan.
"Sharma was apprehended and interrogated. He admitted to handing over his ATM card to his friend Gagandeep Singh, who had then changed the account's registered mobile number. Investigators traced Gagandeep, who revealed that he had provided the account to his associate, Bajrang. The team later apprehended Madan Lal from Chennai," said the DCP.
During interrogation, Madan Lal reportedly confessed to his role in the scam.
