A 39-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru was duped out of ₹11.8 crore by fraudsters posing as police officials and regulatory authorities. The elaborate scam, which unraveled between November 25 and December 12, raises fresh concerns over digital fraud and misuse of Aadhaar data.

This started on November 11, when the victim got a call from some self-proclaimed officer of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. He alleged that the victim's SIM card, through which Aadhaar was linked to it, was being used to publish some illegal advertisements and was causing harassment. This crook also claimed his case was registered at the Cyber Police Station at Colaba, Mumbai.

Very soon after, another caller, disguised as a policeman, accused the techie of money laundering. The scammer even alleged that his Aadhaar details were being misused to open bank accounts on behalf of fictitious individuals. As if this were not enough, the caller threatened him with arrest unless he cooperated with the "investigation."

The fraudsters took their game to the next level by bringing in video calls over Skype. In one such call, a man was dressed in a Mumbai police uniform. The caller stated that a businessman had opened a bank account using the victim's Aadhaar details and had carried out transactions of ₹6 crore.

On November 25, another person, who was also wearing a police uniform, told the victim that his case was going to be heard in the Supreme Court. They threatened to get his family arrested if he didn't comply.

The scamsters referred to fake Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, telling the victim to transfer money into accounts designated for "verification purposes."

Fearing arrest and terrified by the threats, the software engineer made several transactions, transferring ₹11.8 crore over a period of several weeks. 

He realized that he had been conned only when the scammers began demanding more money. He then approached the police and complained.

The Bengaluru police have registered a case under the Information Technology (IT) Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaja Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and impersonation. 

According to an official, "Further investigation is underway to trace the fraudsters and recover the stolen amount."

Similarly, A 72-year-old retired engineer in Rohini was scammed out of ₹10.3 crore in a "digital arrest" fraud. Scammers posing as officials accused him of links to a drug parcel and coerced him for eight hours to transfer funds, threatening harm to his children abroad. After informing his family, police froze ₹60 lakh and launched an investigation.