- Youths and college students enticed to part with personal details, end up becoming money mules
- 8 Mysuru youths land in jail
- SDPI seeks Police action on local perpetrators
Mysore/Mysuru: The rapidly spreading phenomenon of ‘digital arrest’ scams has now established a strong network in Mysuru as well, according to alarming revelations made by SDPI State President Abdul Majeed.
Addressing a press meet at Pathrakarthara Bhavan here yesterday, he said that agents connected to this extortion racket have set up operations in Mysuru and are targeting innocent students and youths.
Based on the information he has received, eight students have already been jailed after unknowingly becoming part of this network. He urged Mysuru Police to trace those functioning as local agents for cybercriminals and safeguard students from falling prey to such traps.
Fraudsters, operating from remote corners of the world, impersonate officials from the Delhi Police, the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department or the CBI. They make WhatsApp video calls, claim that crimes have been committed using the victim’s Aadhaar number and threaten them with ‘digital arrest.’ Through fear and intimidation, they extort crores of rupees from unsuspecting people — particularly retired officials and the elderly.
Opening bank accounts
While siphoning off the money, these criminals open bank accounts using the credentials of innocent students and youths, transfer the extorted funds into these accounts and withdraw them immediately.
The students, unaware that their accounts are being used for cybercrime transactions, become the primary suspects when victims lodge complaints.
Since bank records show deposits and withdrawals from their accounts, these students get arrested, while the actual masterminds remain untraceable. Abdul Majeed said that eight Mysuru students have already been jailed in such cases.
Arrests from Mysuru
He cited several examples. In one case, 75-year-old Gregory Montero, a woman from Dakshina Kannada district, lost Rs. 1.16 crore after being threatened with digital arrest. Three Mysuru youths were arrested and are presently lodged in Mangaluru jail.
In another case, 73-year-old Ganapati Balaji Kakade, a retired banker from Chinchwad, Pune, was defrauded of Rs. 1.90 crore, leading to the arrest of two Mysuru students, now in Pune jail.
In Chennai, 70-year-old Dr. Chitale was threatened with fabricated ‘human trafficking’ charges and cheated of Rs. 24 lakh. Three Mysuru youths were held in connection with this case.
Lure of easy money
According to Majeed, local agents entice students and youths with offers of easy money, convince them to open new bank accounts and collect all their credentials. Without the students’ knowledge, cybercriminals transfer illegal money into these accounts and withdraw it.
Sometimes, youths are told that “someone who owes us money will deposit it in your account; withdraw it, and we’ll give you a share.” In this manner, youngsters are unknowingly turned into scapegoats, he claimed.
Once complaints are registered, Police from various States trace the money trail, visit Mysuru and arrest the students whose accounts were used. Meanwhile, the real perpetrators remain unidentified. As a result, innocent students’ futures are destroyed and their families suffer immense trauma, Majeed noted.
He emphasised that ‘digital arrest’ has no legal validity in Indian law. Therefore, if anyone receives a call claiming to arrest them digitally in the name of the Police or any enforcement agency, they must not panic or believe such threats. Instead, they should immediately complain to the nearest Police Station.
He also advised students and youths not to fall for monetary temptations, not to open bank accounts at someone else’s behest and never share their banking details. Doing so could result in them being framed in cybercrime cases and ending up in jail.
SDPI State Vice-President Devanuru Puttananjaiah, District President Rafath Khan, Vice-President S. Swami, General Secretary Mohammad Firdous and Amjad Khan were present at the press meet.
This post was published on November 25, 2025 6:43 pm