A woman from Udupi, identified as Liolla, was duped of ₹6 lakh by cyber fraudsters posing as Mumbai Cyber Police, who used a fake “digital arrest” ploy to extort money.
According to a complaint filed with the Udupi CEN (Cyber Economic and Narcotics) Police Station, the scam began on July 22 around 11:30 AM when Liolla received a phone call from someone claiming to represent the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller falsely alleged that her SIM card was linked to multiple complaints for harassment and misleading advertisements, and claimed the case would be transferred to Mumbai Cyber Police.
At 12:15 PM the same day, she received a WhatsApp video call from a man dressed in a police uniform. He claimed her Aadhaar number was tied to the Naresh Goyal money laundering case and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest. She was told she was now under “digital arrest”, a fake but intimidating tactic used to pressure her.
By July 25, the scammers had coerced her into transferring ₹2 lakh and ₹4 lakh into two separate bank accounts, totalling ₹6 lakh.
Realizing she had been conned, Liolla filed a complaint with Udupi’s cyber police. Authorities are now investigating the case.
The incident highlights the growing sophistication of cybercrime, where fear tactics, impersonation, and technology are being misused to exploit unsuspecting victims.