A senior academic from West Bengal has fallen prey to an elaborate cyber fraud, highlighting the growing threat of online scams. Former Vice-Chancellor of West Bengal State University Ashokaranjan Thakur was allegedly duped of around ₹35 lakh after being threatened with a so-called "digital arrest." The 77-year-old professor, a resident of Salt Lake, was reportedly targeted over the first two weeks of January.
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According to police sources, the fraudsters contacted Professor Thakur while posing as officials from the Indian Cyber Crime Co-ordination Centre and other law enforcement agencies. They allegedly warned him of arrest under the National Security Act, claiming his name was linked to an international human trafficking and cybercrime network.
Fake notices and 'digital arrest' threat
Police sources said the fraudsters even sent fake notices in the name of the Supreme Court to intimidate him further. According to the allegations, Professor Thakur was forced to regularly share his location through encrypted applications such as Signal. He was also allegedly instructed to remain on screen share while keeping his wife with him, as part of what the fraudsters described as a "verification process."
Investigators claim that under pressure, the former vice-chancellor was forced to break his fixed deposits. In the name of verification, he allegedly transferred a total of ₹35 lakh through RTGS to bank accounts linked to two organisations.
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Police investigation underway
Police from the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station have started investigating the incident. Efforts are underway to trace the phone numbers and bank accounts used by the fraudsters and to recover the money.
Police officials have warned that incidents involving fake officials extorting money by intimidation and threats of digital arrest are on the rise. They have urged citizens to remain alert and verify any such calls before taking action.
