A 46-year-old warehouse in-charge employed at a private company in Bengaluru lost ₹3.2 lakh in a cyber fraud after scammers impersonated officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and threatened him with a fake arrest warrant. The fraudsters claimed that legal action had been initiated against him and pressured him into transferring money to avoid immediate arrest, according to the police complaint.

The victim was made to receive multiple WhatsApp video calls from August 1 onwards, wherein the accused, who introduced himself as V. Kumar, said he was an officer with the NIA. In these calls, the accused informed the victim that an arrest warrant had been issued against him, and he would have to pay an amount of ₹3.2 lakh to avoid arrest. The perpetrators of the fraud ensured that their story looked legitimate by saying that the amount would be credited to the RBI and refunded within 24 hours.

Afraid of being arrested, the victim sent the money to the bank account that the scammers gave him. In the end, after consulting about the whole matter with his company managing director, he came to know that he had become a victim of cybercrime. He called the National Cyber Crime Helpline number (1930) and registered his case with the police.

Investigators also found that the fraudsters allegedly misused the photograph and identity of the company managing director to make their claims appear more believable. Cases involving fake arrest warrants and impersonation of agencies such as the NIA, CBI, ED, and police have increased in recent months, with cybercriminals using fear and fake legal documents to trick victims into transferring money.

The incident serves as another warning about the rising threat of financial fraud through fake arrest and digital arrest scams. Lawenforcementdaily advises the public to remember that no law enforcement agency or government department will demand money over a phone or video call to cancel an arrest warrant or verify bank accounts. Anyone receiving such threats should end the call immediately, verify the claim through official channels, and report the incident to the cyber police without delay.