Mumbai:
An 86-year-old lady from south Mumbai misplaced greater than Rs 20 crore of her financial savings over two months to a ‘digital arrest’ fraud, police stated on Thursday.
One of many fraudsters posed as a ‘CBI officer’ to extort cash from the girl, they stated, including three individuals have been arrested in reference to the crime which happened between December 26, 2024 and March 3 this yr.
The accused individuals had additionally compelled the sufferer to remain at dwelling for 2 months and to examine her location day by day by calling her each three hours, an official stated.
The cyber police have managed to freeze Rs 77 lakh belonging to the girl by figuring out the financial institution accounts to which the cash was transferred, he added.
‘Digital arrest’ is a brand new and rising type of cyber fraud wherein fraudsters pose as regulation enforcement officers or personnel of presidency businesses, and intimidate victims by way of audio/video calls. They maintain the victims hostage and put stress on the victims to make cost.
As per the police criticism filed by the girl earlier this month, she had obtained a name from a person, who claimed to be a CBI officer, and advised her that based mostly on her Aadhaar card, a checking account was opened which was used for cash laundering.
The person then advised her that the case was being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and she or he ought to keep in her room, whereas threatening her with “digital arrest”. He additionally threatened to arrest her kids, the official stated.
A home assist on the lady’s home noticed her behaviour as she used come out of her room just for meals and shout at somebody in her room. The maid then knowledgeable the girl’s daughter about it, he stated.
The fraudsters requested the aged lady to share with them her financial institution particulars underneath the pretext of verifying funds of her account which had been related to felony exercise, the official stated.
They allegedly extorted Rs 20.26 crore from her over a interval of two months, citing numerous causes together with clearing her title from the “case” and court docket charges, he stated.
The fraudsters promised to refund the quantity after completion of the “probe”, the official stated.
Whereas investigating the case, the cyber police discovered the cash was transferred to numerous financial institution accounts, together with one among Shayan Jamil Shaikh (20), resident of Malad space right here, he stated.
The police stated Rs 4.99 lakh was transferred to Shaikh’s account, which he had withdrawn and handed over to a different fraudster.
The cyber police just lately tracked down Shaikh and after his arrest and interrogation, additionally they nabbed one other accused Razique Azan Butt (20), resident of Mira Street in neighbouring Thane, the official stated.
The police on Wednesday recognized yet one more accused, Hritik Shekhar Thakur (25), resident of Andheri space, in whose account Rs 9 lakh was transferred, and arrested him late night time, he stated.
Thakur has admitted to the withdrawal of Rs 9 lakh from an SBI account, which was transferred by his aides after duping the girl, the official stated.
The cyber police suspect Butt was a part of a global racket of cyber fraudsters, he stated.
They’ve additionally recognized two extra accused to whom notices have been issued underneath Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita part 35 (when police might arrest with out warrant), the official stated.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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