Scammers target Indore Crime Branch chief by mistake, he plays along, video calls them in uniform

The accused tried the common ‘digital arrest’ scam but ended up picking Additional DCP of Indore Crime Branch, Rajesh Dandotiya, as their target.

(Representative image)

Panicked scammers hastily ended their latest ‘digital arrest’ attempt on Sunday when they realised they had picked the Additional DCP of Indore Crime Branch, Rajesh Dandotiya, as their target.

The incident occurred at around 2 pm Sunday, when Dandotiya was in his office. He received an automated voice call, telling him that a transaction of Rs 1,11,930 had been fraudulently made using his credit card and that an FIR had been filed. The caller also warned that his bank account would be frozen within two hours.

The officer decided to play along, and when the accused tried to video call under the pretence of recording his statement, they panicked when they saw Dandotiya in his police uniform, and immediately disconnected the call.

‘Digital arrest’ is a modus operandi of cyber criminals pretending to be law enforcement officials who keep their target confined in a room under electronic surveillance and under fake threats of arrest in order to extort money.

Also Read | Case of ‘digital arrest’: Tuition teacher loses Rs 51.27 lakh to fraudsters who posed as CBI officials, cops

Additional DCP Dandotiya explained that the scammers “initially posed as banking officials and then impersonated police officers”. They claimed that his Aadhaar card had been “misused and an FIR was registered against him in Andheri West, Mumbai”, after which they insisted that he visit a police station there within two hours, Dandotiya said.

“The caller told me that I had misused my credit card, and as a result, a case had been registered with Andheri West police station in Mumbai. I was having a press briefing at the time. I was told my bank account would be blocked and was asked to visit the police station in two hours,” the officer said.

When Dandotiya responded that he had “not been to Mumbai in over a decade and could not travel there immediately”, they claimed they would connect him to a senior officer, he said. Moments later, a new caller greeted him with “Jai Hind”, and attempted to take his statement.

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However, upon realising that they were speaking to a uniformed officer, the scammers hastily ended the call.

Dandotiya revealed that he had deliberately continued the conversation to expose the scammers’ tactics and use the experience to educate the public.

“I immediately knew it was a fraud attempt. I decided to record the interaction to make people aware of such digital scams,” he said.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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cyber crime