A woman fell victim to a sophisticated online scam, losing Rs 14.02 lakh to fraudsters who posed as police and CBI officials, deceiving her with a fake digital arrest threat.
According to her complaint, the scam began on November 12, 2024, when she received a call from a customer care number. The caller claimed that Rs 1 lakh had been fraudulently transferred from her ID in Delhi and that an FIR would be filed against her.
Shortly afterward, she received a WhatsApp video call from someone pretending to be a Delhi Police officer, alleging that 25 cases related to black money had been filed in her name. She was then directed to two individuals who introduced themselves as senior CBI officers.
While visiting a private university research center, she was sent a link supposedly from the Supreme Court. When she opened it, she saw a case number, an arrest warrant, and legal documents related to black money. The fraudsters warned her that she would be arrested within two hours and instructed her to transfer money to the RBI for verification, assuring her the amount would be refunded. Believing their claims, she transferred Rs 6.50 lakh via RTGS on November 13.
Despite receiving a receipt for the transfer, she continued to be threatened with arrest and a seven-year prison sentence. Between November 13 and 30, she was pressured to make more payments. Following the fraudsters’ instructions, she transferred a total of Rs 14.02 lakh to multiple accounts. It wasn’t until she discussed the matter with her family that she realized she had been scammed. A case was registered at Ullal police station.
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