Lucknow: A 73-year-old retired assistant conservator at the archaeology department was allegedly placed under ‘digital arrest’ and cheated of Rs 34 lakh by cybercriminals impersonating Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers, police said.The victim, Keshav Murari Gupta, a resident of Faizullaganj under Madiaon, filed an FIR at the Cyber Crime Police Station on Wednesday after discovering the fraud.According to the complaint, Gupta received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number on Sept 11. The caller introduced himself as an ATS officer posted in Pune and claimed that a bank account had been opened in Gupta’s name at ICICI Bank. The caller further alleged that a debit card linked to the account was being used to finance terrorist activities involving transactions worth crores of rupees.The fraudster allegedly told Gupta that the case was being investigated by the Maharashtra ATS and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Soon after, the caller switched to a video call and instructed Gupta not to inform anyone about the matter. Gupta was allegedly ordered to remain inside his room while the “investigation” continued, a tactic commonly described as ‘digital arrest’.Police said the accused kept Gupta on extended calls, subjecting him to sustained questioning and psychological pressure to make him believe he was involved in a serious national security case.The complainant stated that the imposters then instructed him to break his fixed deposits as part of the so-called investigation. Trusting their claims, Gupta allegedly transferred Rs 34 lakh to accounts provided by the callers, who promised the money would be returned after verification.Gupta realised he had been cheated when the amount was not returned the next day. He reportedly delayed reporting the incident due to embarrassment before approaching police on Monday.Cyber Crime Police Station inspector Alok Rai said an investigation is underway and banks have been contacted to explore freezing the transferred funds.
