A retired court employee from Balussery reportedly lost ₹20,000 after being allegedly coerced by fraudsters posing as investigative officers on December 2. The police sources said fraudsters told the victim that obscene video messages had been detected on his phone and that he was “under arrest” pending interrogation.
The man reportedly complied with their instructions but grew suspicious when the gang allegedly demanded an additional sum the following day. He subsequently reported the matter to the Cyber Police, who said that the account which received the defrauded amount was already under scanner. A recently formed district-level forum of bankers, coordinated by the police, would also support the investigation.
The incident comes amid a series of similar high-value scams reported in recent months across Kozhikode and neighbouring districts. Last month, the Kozhikode Cyber Police arrested a 28-year-old Malappuram native at Mumbai airport for his alleged role in a multi-crore digital arrest fraud. The complainant in that case, a Kozhikode resident, had reportedly lost ₹2 crore to fraudsters.
In another major incident last month, a 68-year-old Payyoli native reportedly lost ₹1.51 crore after scammers, impersonating enforcement officers in uniform, allegedly accused him during a WhatsApp video call of aiding anti-national activities.
Officers with the Cyber Cell said senior citizens should be more vigilant in the wake of fresh complaints related to digital arrests, adding that scammers have reportedly siphoned off nearly ₹3,000 crore from India. The national cybercrime helpline — 1930 — should be used to instantly report such complaints for prompt action, they added.
Published – December 04, 2025 06:46 pm IST
