undefined | ‘Ex-Ranji player’ among 3 held for duping Mumbai senior citizen of Rs 32.7 lakh in digital arrest scam
Mumbai: Cyber Police have arrested three men – Rishi A, Harsh and Nikhil – from Gujarat in connection with a digital‑arrest fraud that duped a senior citizen from Aarey Colony of ₹32.7 lakh. The trio, one of whom claimed to be a former Ranji cricketer, were said to have acted as intermediaries, routing the stolen money to the masterminds behind the scheme. Earlier arrests had brought the total number of suspects in the case to seven.
The scam began on 11 February when the victim received a call from a Tamil‑speaking man posing as a “sub‑inspector from Chennai Police”, alleging that her SIM card had been used by terrorist Afzal Khan. Over the next few days she was repeatedly contacted by callers claiming to be senior police officials from Chennai, Mumbai ATS and an English‑speaking officer displaying an “ATS” logo. She was instructed to download the fake “Arattai” app, change privacy settings, and was sent counterfeit documents such as an FIR, arrest warrant and a confidentiality agreement. Persuaded that the funds would be verified by the RBI, she transferred a total of ₹32.7 lakh between 11 and 16 February. Her son, returning from Berlin on 16 February, discovered the deception and reported it to the Cyber Police through his sister‑in‑law.
The investigation, detailed by Times of India senior assistant editor Nitasha Natu, highlighted how the fraudsters exploited the victim’s fear of legal trouble and leveraged fabricated police identities, complete with video calls and fake official paperwork. The police have linked the three arrested men to the routing of the money and are continuing to trace the masterminds behind the operation. Natu, a recipient of the 2021 Laadli Media & Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity, regularly covers topics on gender, human rights, road safety and law enforcement.
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