Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh: Alert officers of Punjab National Bank saved an elderly man from falling victim to a big cyber fraud. Cyber fraudsters tried to cheat a 78-year-old man in Himachal Pradesh of ₹70 lakh by threatening him with a fake “digital arrest.” The fraudsters contacted him through WhatsApp calls and used the name and photograph of a police officer. They threatened to arrest him if he did not transfer the money. However, alert officials at the Bhumpal branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) noticed the suspicious transaction and helped save the man’s money.
Bank Officials Become Suspicious
Branch Manager Ankita Sandal and Deputy Managers Meenakshi Sharma and Sanjay Sood said the customer had visited the bank on August 25. He had asked about transferring a large amount of money from another bank account to his PNB account and then sending it to a company account. The retired Army Subedar said the money was meant to buy a flat for his son.
On August 29, he deposited ₹70 lakh into his PNB account and asked the bank to transfer the entire amount to an ICICI Bank account. The bank officials became suspicious because of the large transaction and contacted his son.
Customer Reveals Digital Arrest Threat
When the customer returned to the branch on August 31, officials asked him about the transaction. During the conversation, he explained that he had been receiving WhatsApp calls since August 19 from people claiming to be police officers.
The callers were using the name and photograph of a police officer and threatening him with arrest if he did not transfer the money. Bank officials then explained that he was being targeted in a cyber fraud known as a “digital arrest” scam.
₹70 Lakh Saved From Cyber Fraud
After understanding the fraud, the customer decided not to transfer the money. Instead, he opened a Fixed Deposit (FD) with the ₹70 lakh, keeping the entire amount safe. The incident highlights the importance of being careful when receiving calls from people claiming to be police officers or other government officials.
Police Warn People About Digital Arrest Scams
Hamirpur SP Balveer Thakur said that police officials do not conduct “digital arrests.” He advised people not to panic or transfer money when they receive threatening calls from unknown persons.
Bank officials also appealed to the public to immediately inform their bank and the police about any suspicious calls, transactions or online activities.
