Two Held in Rajasthan for ₹15 Lakh ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam Targeting Chandigarh Woman

Chandigarh Police have arrested two suspects from Rajasthan for their alleged involvement in a “digital arrest” scam in which a woman from the city was cheated of ₹15 lakh.

The case was registered on April 16 at the Cybercrime Police Station in Sector 17, Chandigarh. The operation was led by SP (Cyber) Geetanjali Khandelwal under the supervision of DSP (Cyber Crime & IT) A. Venkatesh and Inspector Eram Rizvi, SHO, Cybercrime Police Station.

The accused, identified as Poonam Chand (29) and Jai Parkash (21), both residents of Phalodi in Rajasthan, were arrested after a detailed investigation.

According to police, the victim, Sunita, received a call from individuals posing as officials of a courier company and the narcotics department. They falsely claimed that a parcel in her name contained illegal items and pressured her into transferring ₹15 lakh for “verification and clearance.”

Investigations revealed that the money was routed through accounts in IndusInd Bank and UCO Bank before being transferred to Bandhan Bank accounts linked to the accused. Police said both suspects had sold their bank account kits — including cheque books, ATM cards, and passbooks — to others for commission, helping facilitate the scam.

Based on technical analysis and coordination with Rajasthan Police, a Chandigarh Police team traced and arrested the duo from Phalodi. Officials said the same accounts were used in multiple cyber fraud cases.

The police are now tracking digital evidence and analysing financial trails to identify other members of the racket.

Authorities have urged citizens to stay alert and not believe callers claiming to be from law enforcement or asking for money to avoid arrest or verification. They also advised people not to rent or sell SIM cards, verify active SIMs through the TAFCOP portal, and restrict WhatsApp privacy settings to block unknown callers.