An Agra-based model, Shivankita Dixit, was scammed out of Rs 99,000 after falling prey to a “digital arrest” scheme on December 4, police confirmed. Dixit, a winner of several beauty pageants, reported to the authorities that she received a WhatsApp call from fraudsters who posed as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They falsely accused her of being involved in illegal financial transactions linked to human trafficking and drug-related crimes.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Mayank Tiwari, from the Lohamandi police station, explained that the scammers threatened Dixit with arrest unless she transferred a sum of Rs 99,000 to avoid legal trouble. Fearing for her safety, Dixit complied and made the payment. It was only after contacting her family that she realized she had been deceived by cybercriminals, Tiwari said.
Dixit, a former Femina Miss India, West Bengal (2017), was later able to report the incident to the police, who are investigating the case.
The so-called “digital arrest” scam is a growing threat, where cybercriminals impersonate law enforcement officials through video calls, pressuring victims with fabricated threats of arrest. This scam is particularly effective as it exploits the victims' panic, causing them to make hasty financial decisions.
This case is part of a larger pattern of digital frauds. In another high-profile instance on December 3, a 56-year-old man in Mumbai was scammed out of Rs 12.8 crore by fraudsters who claimed to be Mumbai crime branch officers. They convinced him that his Aadhaar card had been linked to human trafficking and money laundering, pressuring him into making multiple transfers over several months, including using his retirement savings and selling off family assets.
Authorities are urging the public to be cautious and sceptical of unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be law enforcement or government officials.
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