Udupi: A 66-year-old woman from Udupi has allegedly been cheated of ₹65 lakh by cyber fraudsters who posed as Mumbai Police officers and threatened her with arrest in a fabricated money laundering case. The accused allegedly used a “digital arrest” scam to intimidate the victim into transferring large sums of money over several days.
Based on the woman’s complaint, the Udupi Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station has registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have launched an investigation to trace those involved in the cyber fraud.
Fraudsters posed as Mumbai Police officers
According to the complaint filed by Sheela, the incident began on July 13, when she received a WhatsApp message from a number claiming to belong to the Mumbai Police.
Soon afterwards, she received a video call from the same number. During the call, a man dressed in what appeared to be a police uniform introduced himself as an inspector attached to the Mumbai Colaba Police Station.
The caller allegedly first enquired whether anyone else was present in her house. After learning that she was alone, he instructed her not to panic before making a series of false allegations.
False money laundering case fabricated
The fraudster allegedly claimed that ₹20 crore had been deposited into the woman’s bank account and falsely stated that a money laundering case had been registered against her.
He further alleged that an arrest warrant had already been issued and threatened that the Mangaluru Police would soon arrest her if she failed to cooperate.
Police said the accused used fear and intimidation to convince the woman that she was under official investigation, a tactic commonly employed in so-called digital arrest scams.
Victim persuaded to transfer money
According to the complaint, the fraudsters instructed the woman to provide details of all her bank accounts and allegedly compelled her to share photographs of her banking documents.
The callers then claimed that the serial numbers of the currency deposited in her accounts needed to be verified to establish her innocence.
Using this false explanation, they instructed her to transfer her savings to several bank accounts specified by them, assuring her that the money would be returned after the verification process.
Believing the claims to be genuine, the woman transferred money in multiple transactions.
Rs 65 lakh transferred in five days
Police said the accused remained in regular contact with the victim through WhatsApp calls between July 13 and July 17.
During this period, they allegedly continued to pressure and persuade her to transfer funds under the pretext of an ongoing investigation.
By the end of the five-day period, the woman had transferred a total of ₹65 lakh to the bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.
She later realised that she had been deceived and approached the police to lodge a complaint.
Case registered
Based on the complaint, the Udupi CEN Police have registered a case under Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, which deals with cheating by personation using computer resources.
The case has also been registered under Sections 111(4), 319(2), 308(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police are examining the bank accounts used in the transactions, analysing digital evidence and attempting to identify those behind the fraud.
Police caution against digital arrest scams
Police have once again urged the public to remain alert against cyber criminals posing as police officers, investigating agencies or government officials.
Officials clarified that genuine law enforcement agencies do not conduct investigations through WhatsApp video calls, demand money transfers for verification, or ask individuals to transfer funds to avoid arrest.
Citizens have been advised to immediately disconnect such calls, avoid sharing banking details or personal documents with unknown persons, and report suspicious communications to the nearest police station or the national cybercrime helpline.
The case highlights the growing threat of sophisticated cyber frauds targeting senior citizens through fear and intimidation. Police have appealed to the public to verify the identity of callers claiming to represent government agencies before acting on any financial instructions.