Kolkata bizman, wife duped of Rs 3 crore in 'digital arrest'

KOLKATA: An elderly businessman and his wife lost Rs 3 crore after being "held hostage" in their Behala Parnasree home in the city for nearly two weeks by cyber-extortionists who used " digital arrest " to harass the couple for up to 20 hours a day, reports Dwaipayan Ghosh. Terrified by what they believed was constant "CBI surveillance" through livestream of their movements via laptops and cellphones, the duo ended up paying the amount demanded by the criminals. Impersonating as representatives of CBI, ED, and other central agencies, the criminals kept the couple constantly on tenterhooks to extract the money through online bank transfers.

The couple's ordeal began when they received a call on October 5 from a person claiming to be a representative of a courier firm. The caller said the businessman is being investigated by CBI and ED, as a parcel on his name with illegal drugs was seized. This was followed by a video call from a man who identified himself as one Amit Kumar from the CBI, who threatened the couple with arrest over the "illegal drugs seizure". Fearing legal repercussions, the couple transferred over Rs 3 crore into the bank accounts provided by the criminals.