Elderly Woman Duped in Digital Arrest Scam

An 82-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Thane district fell victim to a 'digital arrest' scam, losing Rs 73.3 lakh as fraudsters posed as law enforcement officials, coercing her into transferring funds to clear her supposed involvement in a fake terror case linked to a Pakistani soldier.

An 82-year-old woman from Thane, Maharashtra, has been defrauded of Rs 73.3 lakh in a 'digital arrest' scam. The fraudsters impersonated law enforcement officials and intimidated the woman, claiming her mobile number was linked to a Pakistani soldier implicated in the Pahalgam terror attack, police reported on Sunday.

The scammers coerced the victim into transferring considerable sums over a period of four days to supposedly clear her name from the bogus case. Despite repeated intimidations via calls from multiple numbers between April 6 and 10, the woman complied and made various online transfers.

After realizing the deception, the victim reported the incident to the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station on Friday. Authorities have identified several local mobile numbers used in the scam and are currently investigating to track down the suspects, a police official confirmed.