Navi Mumbai Police arrest engineer in Rs 1.55 crore Panvel digital arrest scam
The Navi Mumbai Cyber Police have arrested a 24-year-old electrical engineer for his alleged involvement in an international cyber fraud syndicate that defrauded a 62-year-old Panvel resident of Rs 1.55 crore. The arrest, which took place on July 3, exposed a racket where the accused allegedly supplied more than 1,000 activated SIM cards to cyber criminals operating from Cambodia.
The arrested accused has been identified as Umang Vijaybhai Lakod. Navi Mumbai Cyber Police apprehended Lakod from Vadodara in Gujarat following a technical investigation into the "digital arrest" scam.
According to the police, the fraud took place on March 23 when the senior citizen from Panvel received calls from fraudsters posing as officials from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) headquarters in Delhi. Using mobile calls, WhatsApp, and Signal, the callers claimed that a SIM card issued in the victim's name had been used by a suspect involved in a Delhi bomb blast. They also claimed the number was linked to illegal financial transactions worth Rs 2.75 crore.
To make the threat seem genuine, the fraudsters sent forged Reserve Bank of India (RBI) documents and a fake arrest warrant. Fearing immediate arrest, the senior citizen complied with their demands and transferred Rs 1.55 crore to bank accounts specified by the accused under the guise of a "digital arrest."
Following a complaint by the victim, the cyber police analyzed the WhatsApp and Signal communications along with the mobile numbers used in the crime. This technical analysis eventually traced Lakod to Gujarat.
During the arrest operation, police seized 347 activated SIM cards belonging to various telecom companies, three mobile phones, two debit cards, six cheque books, one bank passbook, and two Aadhaar cards from Lakod's possession.
Investigations revealed that Lakod, a qualified electrical engineer, was responsible for activating SIM cards and supplying them to Cambodia-based cyber criminals. He had already dispatched more than 1,000 activated SIM cards, which were used to target and defraud victims across India.
The Navi Mumbai Cyber Police are continuing their investigation to identify other members of the syndicate and trace the money trail.
