Elderly Mumbai Woman Falls Victim to 'Digital Arrest' Scam

A 67-year-old Mumbai woman was duped by online fraudsters into transferring Rs 14 lakh. Posing as cyber crime officials, the scammers claimed she was involved in a fictitious money laundering case. Panic-driven, she transferred her savings. Police are investigating after the realization of the fraud.

A 67-year-old woman in Mumbai was trapped in a daring online scam, being 'digitally arrested' by fraudsters. She was coerced into transferring Rs 14 lakh to clear her name from a bogus money laundering case, a Mumbai police official reported on Monday.

According to cyber-security advisory CERT-In, a 'digital arrest' involves a victim receiving alerting communications, misleading them into believing they are under investigation for crimes like identity theft. The scammers use fear tactics to manipulate their victims into urgent financial actions.

In this instance, the scam took place between September 1 and 5, targeting the woman who resides in Kandivali West. Chillingly impersonating officials from the Delhi Telecom Department and Cyber Crime branch, the perpetrators accused her of misusing her Aadhaar card in criminal activities, terrifying her into compliance. She was convinced to deposit significant savings into a prescribed bank account before the fraud was ultimately recognized.

(With inputs from agencies.)