Bengaluru man hangs himself after losing Rs 13L to digital arrest fraud | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: A 48-year-old contract staffer with Bescom, who fell prey to the digital arrest fraud and lost nearly Rs 13 lakh to cybercriminals, was found hanging from a tree in his village in Ramanagar district Tuesday. K Kumara, a resident of HSR Layout in Bengaluru, has explained in the death note the harassment he faced from the fraudsters, who posed as CBI officials, and repeatedly threatened him with arrest if he failed to pay up. He was found dead near an agricultural land at Kelagere village in Channapatna. He leaves behind his wife Savitramma and an eight-year-old son. According to the note, he received a video call from someone claiming to be a CBI officer named Vikram Goswami. He told him that a case had been registered against Kumara and that an arrest warrant had been issued. A panicked Kumara first transferred Rs 1.9 lakh to an account specified by the caller. Over the next few days, he was forced to transfer additional amounts, totalling around Rs 11 lakh. The extortion continued, with the fraudsters demanding Rs 2.7 lakh more.“My husband was speaking to strangers in Hindi for the past 15 days,” Savitramma stated in the complaint. “When I asked him about it, he said there was a case against him. I advised him to speak to his younger brother. On Monday, he left for the village, saying he had some urgent work. The next day, I got a call from family members saying he was found hanging. In his pocket, they found a note explaining everything.”Family sources said Kumara borrowed heavily from relatives, friends, and colleagues over the last fortnight, citing a personal emergency. None of them knew he was being targeted by cybercriminals.Srinivas Gowda, superintendent of police, Ramanagar, confirmed that the number used to contact Kumara has been traced to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. “This is a case of digital arrest. We have registered a case of abetment to suicide against unknown persons. We are examining bank records to map the transactions,” he said.(If you are having suicidal thoughts or in need of emotional support, call suicide prevention helplines: Tele-Manas helpline: 14416 or 1800-891-4416, SAHAI Helpline: 080-25497777)—— BoxBE AWARE OF ONLINE TRAP Kumara’s is the third suicide linked to cybercrime in Karnataka this year. In May, an elderly couple from Khanapur in Belagavi died by suicide after losing over Rs 80 lakh to a similar scam. In that case, police arrested four suspects from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, and Maharashtra, but the kingpin remains at large. As such crimes continue unabated, here are 10 things to know about digital arrest: *Definition: A digital arrest involves fraudsters impersonating govt or law-enforcement officials via video call to pressure victims into transferring money*Initial contact: Victims are approached via sms, email or WhatsApp, falsely accused of offences like money laundering or drug trafficking, and told to call a designated number*Impersonation tactics: Scammers use video calls featuring official uniforms, backdrops and even deepfake methods to appear legitimate*Psychological pressure: They intimidate victims by claiming the victim or their relatives are involved in serious crimes, such as drug-related offences*Continuous surveillance: Victims are often kept on video for hours or days, preventing them from seeking advice or calming down*Extortion method: Under threat of arrest or legal action, scams involve victims transferring large sums to allegedly resolve the fabricated issues*Warning signs: Immediate demands for money, threats of legal action, and unsolicited electronic contact from supposed officials are major red flags*Safety measures: Always verify the caller’s identity, remain calm, avoid sharing personal or financial information, and never transfer money under pressure* Reporting steps: Victims should report the scam via the national cybercrime helpline (1930 or cybercrime.gov.in), and preserve evidence like screenshots and recordings*Govt response: Authorities have ramped up awareness campaigns, blocked several fraudulent accountsWEB OF CRIMEYearCybercrime cases registered in K’taka (2023-May 2025) 202322,246202422,4532025 (May 31)6,045Note: While breakup of digital arrest was not available, police say cases are increasing