03 arrested, ₹4 Lakh recovered
Srinagar, November 29 : Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone Srinagar takes cognizance upon receiving a written complaint from a senior citizen of Srinagar city, who was allegedly defrauded of ₹21 lakh in digital arrest scam wherein the fraudsters impersonated officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to coerce the victim into transferring funds.
In a handout, the police said that the scammers accused the victim of being involved in money laundering involving ₹6.8 crores and issued fabricated arrest warrants and penalties to intimidate him. Through psychological manipulation, they declared the conversations a “national secret,” instructed the victim to lock his house, avoid communication with others, and falsely assured him of a refund within hours. Under this pressure, the victim prematurely closed his fixed deposits and transferred ₹21 lakh into a fraudulent HDFC Bank account.
Upon receiving the complaint, FIR No. 26/2024 was registered and Cyber Police Kashmir initiated a swift investigation. Leveraging advanced technical tools, the police identified the culprits and dispatched teams to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab. The operation led to the arrests of Gaurav Kumar (Shamli, UP), Gurpreet Singh (Patiala, Punjab), and Ujjawal Chauhan (Patiala, Punjab).
During the raids, the police seized 4 mobile phones, a MacBook, 13 SIM cards, 24 debit cards, 20 cheque books, 10 passbooks, and other incriminating materials.
Pertinently, Rs 4.13 lakhs has been released into the account of the complainant.
The accused persons face multiple charges, including fraud, conspiracy, and coercion. Further investigation is ongoing to uncover other conspirators and dismantle the larger network behind this scam.
Cyber Police Kashmir Zone advises citizens to exercise extreme caution when sharing sensitive financial information.
Legitimate government agencies will never conduct investigations or arrests via video calls, demand payments, or request sensitive data over the phone. Always verify the identity of callers claiming to represent official authorities and report suspicious activities to the nearest Cyber Police station or cybercrime helplines immediately.
Cyber Police Kashmir remains committed to protecting citizens from the growing menace of cybercrimes and urges the public to stay informed and vigilant, reads the statement.
