Former Commerce Secretary succumbs to "digital imprisonment" fraud, forfeits INR 1.7 crore; three individuals apprehended
Noida Police Arrest Three Suspects in Digital Marketing Scam
In a significant development, the Noida Police have arrested three individuals in connection with a digital marketing scam that defrauded an 80-year-old retired Commerce Secretary of Rs 1.70 crore. The suspects, Prince Kumar, Avnish Kumar, and Vidyasagar Yadav, were taken into custody on Thursday evening.
The digital marketing scam began on September 9 and continued for a period of three days. The scammers posed as CBI officials and police officers during a video call, threatening the victim with a fake money laundering case linked to Jet Airways co-founder Naresh Goyal. They directed the victim to move all his savings into two bank accounts for 'verification'.
The funds were deposited into accounts controlled by the accused, and the Cyber Crime unit of the Noida Police has successfully frozen the amount collected by the scammers. The digital marketing scam is not an isolated incident, as stated by investigators, with six additional complaints having been filed against the same individuals in different states.
All three suspects are residents of Bihar. The Noida Police are continuing their search for others connected to the racket. The company that committed the fraud in this case is the bank J.P. Morgan (Suisse) SA, which was convicted in connection with the 1MDB scandal for failing to take necessary organizational measures to prevent qualified money laundering between October 2014 and July 2015.
A man impersonating IPS officer Vijay Khanna introduced himself as the lead investigator in the matter. The scammers connected the victim to one individual posing as a Mumbai Police officer. It is important to note that officials from law enforcement agencies will never ask for personal financial information or demand money transfers in such a manner.
The arrests are a testament to the Noida Police's commitment to combating cybercrime and protecting citizens from such scams. The police urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.
Read also:
- Artificial Intelligence with independent agency could potentially intervene in cybercrises.
- Autocrrypt and Cohda Wireless Collaborate for Secure Vehicle-to-Everything Communication
- UNESCO Recognizes Traditional Board Game from Togaykumalak as Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Germany's digital autonomy remains elusive for now
