Cybercriminals Posing As Cops Dupe Ahmedabad Builder Of Rs 1 Crore In Digital Arrest Scam

The incident began on July 3 when the builder received a call from someone claiming to be from a FedEx office in Mumbai’s Andheri area.

A builder was scammed out of Rs 1 crore after a digital arrest by cybercriminals pretending to be police officials. The victim lodged a complaint with the cyber crime cell of Ahmedabad, resulting in an investigation. He alleged that the fraudsters exploited his recent Rs 50 crore land deal to gain his trust.

The incident began on July 3 when the builder received a call from someone claiming to be from a FedEx office in Mumbai’s Andheri area. The caller alleged that a parcel in the name of the builder contained 550 grams of MD drugs and that a complaint had been filed against him by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

As per the report of India Today, the call was then redirected to an individual impersonating an NCB officer, who demanded that the builder provide an online statement. During a Skype video call, the builder saw someone seated in what appeared to be a police station.

This person identified himself as Police Inspector Pradeep Sawant and accused the builder of engaging in suspicious bank transactions. The builder was further intimidated by threats of investigations by multiple agencies, including the CBI, ED, NCB, and the Mumbai cybercrime cell.

Later, the builder was forced to transfer Rs 1.05 crore online in order to avoid the alleged charges. The scammers assured him that the money would be returned within 10 days. Scammers gave detailed information about a Rs 50 crore land deal he had recently done in Mumbai to gain the trust of the builder.

Victim Filed Complaint With Ahmedabad Cybercrime Cell

After transferring the money, the victim received no further contact from the scammers impersonating officials. Realising he had been defrauded, he filed a complaint with the Ahmedabad cybercrime cell five months later. 

Responding to the incident, FedEx clarified that it does not request personal information through unsolicited calls, emails, or mail related to shipments unless initiated by the customer.

"If any individual receives any suspicious phone calls or messages, they are advised not to provide their personal information. Instead, they should immediately contact the local law enforcement authorities within the vicinity or report to the cybercrime department," the company said.