Cybercrime police have arrested two Hyderabad residents for their alleged role in a digital arrest fraud that cost a 63-year-old retired employee and his daughter Rs 29.17 lakh.
A third accused, identified as Sachin from Bengaluru, remains absconding, police said.
The callers allegedly accused him of involvement in a money-laundering case involving Rs 6.8 crore and threatened him with arrest.
The two arrested men reportedly received commissions for facilitating the transactions. The accused were produced before a competent court. Further investigation is underway to trace Sachin and identify others involved.
The arrested men, Mohd Ashfaq Hussain and Ahmed Najeeb Uddin, both aged 27 and residents of Ameerpet of Hyderabad, allegedly helped move the cheated money through multiple bank accounts and cryptocurrency transactions to conceal its origin. The fraud began on March 3 this year, when the retired employee received calls from people posing as officials of the Delhi Police, CBI and Probe Agency ED. Believing the claims, they transferred Rs 29,17,668.
Police said that family was also threatened with arrest and told to maintain secrecy in the name of national security. ”When the promised refund failed to arrive, the victim approached the police.” Additional CP Crime and SIT added, Police said Ashfaq shared bank account details obtained from Najeeb with Sachin, who allegedly transferred the fraud proceeds into those accounts.
