In Bareilly, thugs held a family hostage for 10 hours in the name of ‘digital arrest’. The couple was accused of being terrorists. His 8th grade son saved him from a major financial fraud by putting his phone on flight mode.
A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, where the wisdom of a small child saved his parents from being robbed. This incident took place in Prem Nagar area, where scammers targeted a family in the name of ‘digital arrest’. Police said that local businessman Sanjay Saxena and his wife received a call from an unknown number. The callers introduced themselves as officials of an investigating agency.
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Made fake claims and threats to scare the family
During the call, the scammers accused Saxena of being linked to terrorist activities and involved in a big financial scam. To make his story appear genuine, he also showed a fake arrest warrant on the video call. Huge mental pressure was put on the couple. The fraudsters told them that they were under ‘digital arrest’ and had to follow strict rules.
10 hours of video calls and tricks to control them
Police said the scammers kept the couple on video call for about 10 hours. He ordered that they could not leave their house and had to have cameras on at all times. The fraudsters forced them to do everyday activities like eating and resting in front of the camera. During this time, they managed to obtain sensitive bank details from the couple and were preparing to steal the money. Due to continuous threats, the parents were so scared that they did not question anything.
The son’s wisdom saved him
Late at night, their 8th class son Tanmay realized something was wrong. At first the frightened parents did not listen to him. However, the boy showed courage and put the phone on flight mode. Due to this the connection with the fraudsters was suddenly cut off. His swift decision stopped the scam at a critical juncture and saved the family from financial loss.
Police took action and warned people
The next morning, the family went to Prem Nagar police station and reported the incident. When the phone was switched on again, the fraudsters tried to call again. This time, police officers responded to the call and interrogated him. SP City Manush Parekh confirmed that a case has been registered. He warned people to be cautious and never share bank details under pressure. He also advised that such ‘digital arrest’ calls should be immediately reported to the police.