Apartment owners’ associations (AOAs) across various societies have issued a warning to residents about a rising scam involving fake police and court officials. These con artists, armed with fraudulent arrest warrants, attempt to gain access to apartments, often by persuading guards to let them in.
The recent advisory shared by the AOAs highlights an incident where a man, claiming to be a court official, tried to enter an apartment complex with a fabricated arrest warrant for a resident. When the guards initially refused him entry after verification, the suspect returned with accomplices posing as police officers. They reportedly intimidated the guards, threatening legal action if they interfered with the “official duties” of government personnel. Eventually, the group was allowed entry into the society.
The fraudsters allegedly confronted the resident, threatening arrest, but the resident refused to open the door despite persistent knocking. After some time, the scammers left. The circular did not specify the name of the society, or the resident involved in the incident.
A senior police officer stated that no formal complaints had been filed regarding such incidents yet. “Digital arrests are a real concern, but we have not received any complaints about fraudsters using fake arrest warrants to enter societies. However, we will investigate the possibility of such scams,” the officer told TOI.
To help protect residents, the advisory includes several safety recommendations. These include conducting thorough security checks for visitors, verifying the identity of individuals claiming to be government officials, reporting suspicious activity to Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), not opening doors to strangers—especially following threat calls, maintaining direct contact with local police, and installing video doorbells.
