English 
हिन्दी 
Cybercriminals posing as Bengaluru police officers have come up with a new method to defraud citizens by threatening them with fake “digital arrest” warrants.
A 49-year-old businessman from JB Nagar recently fell victim to this scam, losing ₹5 lakh after being accused of crimes like human trafficking and money laundering, Times of India reported.
According to the report, on December 7, the businessman, Shankar, received a WhatsApp call from a person claiming to be an officer from a Bengaluru police station. The caller alleged that Shankar’s name had surfaced in a human trafficking case and demanded his cooperation. To make the claim believable, they warned him to keep the matter confidential, calling it a “sensitive case.”
The following day, Shankar received another call, this time from someone impersonating a senior police officer. They sent him a fake arrest warrant on WhatsApp and accused him of being involved in money laundering. Under the pretext of verifying his bank transactions, the fraudsters coerced him into transferring ₹4 lakh to one account and ₹1 lakh to another, promising to return the money after the “investigation.”
When the scammers demanded additional funds, Shankar grew suspicious and shared his ordeal with friends, who helped him realize it was a con. He reported the incident to the East CEN Crime police on December 14, the report added.
New tactics
A senior police official told TOI that cybercriminals have shifted their tactics, now impersonating Bengaluru police instead of officers from Mumbai or Delhi. To make their claims credible, they converse in Kannada and reference local police stations.
The police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating. Authorities emphasized that no system of “digital arrest” or virtual investigations exists and urged the public to remain cautious of such scams.
Efforts are underway to track the culprits, with officials reminding citizens not to entertain such calls and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
(Also Read: Bengaluru youth, 19, dies after crashing into parked truck on NICE Road: Report)
Bengaluru tops digital fraud cases
In 2024, residents of Karnataka have been defrauded of Rs109.01 crore through elaborate digital arrest scams, where criminals impersonate government officials to extract money.
These figures were disclosed by Home Minister G Parameshwara on December 12 during a session of the Karnataka Legislative Council. Despite efforts, police have managed to recover only ₹9.45 crore—less than 10 per cent of the total losses.
Addressing a question raised by BJP MLC K Prathap Simha Nayak, the minister revealed that the state recorded 641 cases of these scams this year. Bengaluru topped the list with 480 incidents—nearly three-fourths of the total. Mysuru reported 24 cases, while Mangaluru logged 21.
(Also Read: Bengaluru metro expansion to Hoskote, Nelamangala, and Bidadi? DK Shivakumar says government is considering It)
