Bhubaneswar, Feb 26 (IANS) In a case of digital arrest, the vice-chancellor of Berhampur University, Geetanjali Dash has lost around Rs 14 lakh to cyberfraudsters who impersonated as officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED) to deceive her.
A case (15/25) has been registered in this regard at the Cyber Crime and Economic Offence Police Station in Berhampur. Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M. said, “the Vice Chancellor of Berhampur University yesterday (Monday) has lodged an FIR at the cyber police station alleging that cyber fraudsters duped her of Rs 14 lakhs through digital arrest".
The Berhampur SP further revealed that VC Dash received a call from an unknown number on her phone on February 12. The caller identified himself as an ED Officer.
The VC was falsely told that ED has come across her links with a person against whom the central agency has launched a probe which is being monitored by the Supreme Court of India.
“The unknown person on the other end which identified himself as ED Officer and accused her to have involved in an ED case and an account has been opened in her name at Canara Bank and crores of illegal money has been deposited in the said account in her name and kept her digitally arrest during evening hours,” informed Berhampur SP.
The Berhampur police sources further revealed that the accused fraudsters later asked Dash to deposit Rs 14 lakh in their account for her "release" from digital arrest.
The victim accordingly sent the money through a bank cheque to the account of the fraudster.
Police have started investigation into the case after registering a case under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act.
It is worth mentioning that the Crime Branch of Odisha Police has arrested one cybercriminal from Madhya Pradesh in January this year for duping a Bhubaneswar-based senior scientist of Rs 1.06 crore with the digital arrest threats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also several times urged the citizens to remain alert against the rising cases of the digital arrest scam in the country.
