Digital Arrest: Noida Woman Loses Rs 34 Lakh To Fraudsters, Gets Fake ED Notices

Noida: In another case of digital arrest, a woman from Noida was duped of Rs Rs 34 lakh by cyber cons. The woman, identified as Nidhi Paliwal, was threatened with fake notices by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials.

According to sources, the cyber fraudsters claimed that a parcel from Mumbai was being sent to Iran in her name containing five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, 900 US dollars and 200 grams of narcotics. The alleged incident is said to have taken place on August 8.

In her complaint to police, the Sector-41 resident told that she received a call from the cons on around 10pm on August 8. Meanwhile, a case was registered at Gautam Buddha cyber crime police station. An investigation into the matter is underway, news agency PTI quoting Inspector-in-charge Vijay Kumar Gautam as saying.

As per the complaint of Paliwal, the scammers sent her a complaint via WhatsApp and asked her to send Rs 34 lakh. Paliwal further mentioned in her complaint, that the accused also video called her on Skype with the video switched off.

It is learnt that the accused also sent two fake notices of Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which serious allegations were levelled against the victim. A probe on the matter is underway. 

What is ‘Digital Arrest’?  

'Digital arrest' is the newest form of cyber scam in which targeted victims are made to stay on video calls for hours till they transfer all their money. So far, there is nothing called digital arrests in law. This a deceptive tactic is used by cyber frauds to exploit people under the guise of law enforcement or investigative agencies.  It usually involves conmen reaching out to potential victims through phone calls or digital means, falsely claiming that there is a warrant for their arrest or that they are under investigation. These conmen then demand sensitive information, such as personal or financial details.