A 62‑year‑old farmer from Puttur taluk in Dakshina Kannada lost Rs 1.31 crore after cybercriminals pretended to be officers of Mumbai Police and the Anti‑Terrorism Squad, placing him under a so‑called digital arrest from September 2 to October 6, 2026.
The fraudsters contacted the farmer on WhatsApp, using video calls to threaten him and claim that he had transferred money to a suspect in the Pahalgam terror attack. They insisted that immediate transfers were required to verify his bank accounts and prove the legitimacy of his funds. Believing the story, the farmer moved Rs 1,31,50,000 via Real Time Gross Settlement to the accounts disclosed by the impostors.
When the farmer discovered the deception, he dialed the national cyber‑crime helpline 1930 and filed a complaint. The Dakshina Kannada Cyber Crime Police Station responded by registering a case under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and investigators are now pursuing the suspects.
Digital‑arrest scams typically involve fraudsters masquerading as police or government officials, accusing victims of involvement in serious crimes and demanding money to “clear” their names. Law‑enforcement agencies do not impose digital arrests or request payments for verification. Authorities urge the public to verify any such claims through official channels before transferring funds.
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📰 Source: Mangalore Today