78-Year-Old Khar Resident Escapes Digital Arrest Scam by Fake ED Officials

A 78-year-old resident of the Heritage Cooperative Housing Society in Khar, Mumbai, successfully thwarted a "digital arrest" scam after fraudsters posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials tried to gain control of his bank funds. The attempted fraud occurred over several days, between July 3 and July 6.

The victim, Kiran Narayan Talcherkar, avoided any financial loss by suspecting fraud and disconnecting the calls. The Khar Police are handling the case.

According to the Khar Police, Talcherkar received WhatsApp calls from men identifying themselves as ED officers Sandeep Sharma, Vijay Khanna, and Rahul Gupta.

The callers falsely claimed that a money laundering case had been registered against Talcherkar in Delhi. They told him that his Aadhaar card, mobile number, and debit card were linked to illegal transactions.

To resolve the situation, the fraudsters instructed Talcherkar to install a specific mobile application. They also demanded that he sign a consent letter handing over control of his bank accounts to the ED.

Suspecting fraud, Talcherkar disconnected the call. No money was lost during the incident.