Cyber criminals rob Rs 38 lakh from aged woman in digital arrest scam

BENGALURU: In yet another instance of cyber crime, where scammers ‘digitally arrested’ an elderly woman and swindled her of Rs 38 lakh. The incident occurred on March 11, when the victim Geetha received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from a Mumbai bank branch.

The caller accused Geetha of opening an account in Mumbai and using it to fund terrorists. The scammer threatened her, saying the RBI will investigate and asked her to transfer Rs 38 lakh to clear her name. They promised to return the money within an hour.

Believing the scammers, Geetha transferred the money. However, when it wasn’t returned even after two days, she grew suspicious and approached the East Division Cyber police station. She filed a complaint, stating that she was “digitally arrested” and threatened not to contact anyone for 72 hours.

The police have registered a case and are investigating to track down the culprits.