- Fake officials impersonated CBI, police, and a judge to digitally arrest former MLA Gundappa Vakil
- Mr Vakil was accused of money laundering linked to businessman Naresh Goyal by the fraudsters
- He was ordered via video call to transfer Rs 10.99 lakh and later Rs 20 lakh to fake accounts
Fake officials, including a Central Bureau of Investigation officer, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and a judge, and fear make for the perfect recipe for a digital arrest. This recipe was followed in Karnataka, leading to the digital arrest of former Aurad MLA Gundappa Vakil and him losing nearly Rs 31 lakh in eight days.
On the evening of August 12, the fraudster, claiming to be a CBI officer, contacted Gundappa Vakil and accused him of being involved in the money laundering case of businessman Naresh Goyal.
The fraudster informed Mr Vakil that the seized items included a bank account and an ATM card in his name, allegedly linked to misappropriation of funds. The fake CBI officer collected the victim's biography and property details.
The call was then transferred to a person named Neeraj Kumar, who introduced himself as Deputy Commissioner of Police and put Mr Vakil under digital arrest. The victim was instructed not to cut the call.
The next day, around 1 pm, the fraudsters produced the victim before the 'judge' on a video call. The 'judge' ordered Mr Vakil to write an undertaking that he was not guilty of fraud and ordered him to transfer Rs 10.99 lakh through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) to a specified bank account.
After this, Neeraj Kumar and another officer, Sandeep Kumar, met Mr Vakil every day and collected his and his family's bank details under the guise of investigation. A couple of days later, the MLA was once again produced before the 'judge' on camera, who directed him to transfer Rs 20 lakh for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI to investigate the case. The victim followed the direction after he was assured the money would be returned post verification.
When no refund came and the fraudsters disappeared, the 73-year-old realised he had been a victim of digital arrest and informed family and friends about it before registering a legal complaint on September 6.
A first information report (FIR) has been filed at the Bengaluru CCB Cyber Crime Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
