Digital Arrest in Bengaluru: Woman Duped of INR 30 Lakh; Forced To Break FDs and Empty Bank Accounts
Mumbai, December 23: In a chilling case of cyber fraud, a 46-year-old homemaker from Indiranagar, Bengaluru, was duped out of over INR 30 lakh by scammers posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Mumbai police. The fraudsters orchestrated an elaborate scheme, holding the woman under a fabricated “digital arrest” for 11 days.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, the incident began on December 3 when the woman received an automated call, supposedly from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), warning that her SIM card and bank accounts would be deactivated unless she pressed a specific number. She was then connected to a man claiming to be a TRAI official, who informed her that a SIM card registered in her name was linked to harassment complaints.
Woman Put Under Digital Arrest for 11 Days!
The call was later transferred to a man posing as a Mumbai police sub-inspector, who threatened the victim with the investigation and a “digital arrest” unless she travelled to Mumbai immediately. Unable to make the journey, the woman was subjected to a series of video calls with a person claiming to be a CBI official, who accused her of involvement in money laundering.
Woman Under Digital Arrest Breaks FDs
Under duress and fearing legal consequences, she was coerced into transferring money in multiple installments, including liquidating her fixed deposits worth INR 27.5 lakh.
The victim only realised she had been scammed after the fraudsters ceased contact. She came across a news report about a similar fraud, which prompted her to report the incident to the police on December 19. The police are investigating the case and have urged the public to be cautious of such “digital arrests” orchestrated by cybercriminals.
In another incident, a 39-year-old software engineer became a victim of a “digital arrest” scam and lost INR 11.8 crore when fraudsters impersonating police officials claimed that his Aadhaar card was being misused to open bank accounts for money laundering, police said on Monday, December 23.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Dec 23, 2024 08:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
