(Image source from: Deccanherald.com)
A 57-year-old woman from Bengaluru was tricked out of nearly Rs 32 crore in a complex scam called "digital arrest." In this scheme, con artists pretending to be DHL workers and high-ranking officials from the Cybercrime Department, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allegedly held her in virtual custody for a month. The incident started on September 15, 2024, based on the police report filed on November 14, when the victim got a call from someone claiming to be from DHL. The caller told her that a package registered under her name from Andheri, Mumbai, had forbidden items such as four passports, three credit cards, and MDMA. Even though she explained she had never been to Mumbai, the caller insisted her identity was misused and escalated the situation by labeling it as a cybercrime.
Before she could reply, the call was handed over to people pretending to be CBI agents. They allegedly intimidated her with threats of arrest, said they had strong proof against her, and cautioned her against contacting the local police, claiming that the criminals using her name were watching her home. Afraid for her family's safety, the victim followed their instructions.
The scammers told her to set up two Skype accounts, and a man who said his name was Mohit Handa kept an eye on her through her camera, stating that she was under house arrest. For two days, he reportedly monitored her via video before introducing her to another impersonator claiming to be CBI officer Pradeep Singh. This impersonator verbally attacked her, threatened her with arrest, and pressured her to demonstrate her innocence. The victim mentioned that the callers seemed to know her phone activity and location, which made her more anxious. She was told the only way to clear her name was to provide information about all her possessions for the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the RBI to verify. The scammers also provided fake letters from the Cybercrime Department, signed with the name Nitin Patel. From September 24 to October 22, 2024, she shared all her banking information. The fraudsters then pushed her to deposit 90 percent of her assets for clearance. She agreed due to intense pressure. Later, they instructed her to pay an extra Rs 2 crore as surety, followed by more payments termed as taxes.
While she was under constant watch on Skype, she got a phony clearance letter on December 1, 2024, and proceeded with her son's engagement on December 6. The ongoing mental and physical strain allegedly left her feeling unwell for over a month. The scammers kept asking for money into early 2025, continuously promising her that the funds she had deposited would be returned by February. After several delays, all contact suddenly stopped on March 26, 2025. Overall, the victim made 187 transactions totaling Rs 31.83 crore. The con was mainly conducted through phone calls and constant monitoring of her mobile.
The victim told the police she waited until her son's wedding on June 8 to officially report the issue due to ongoing trauma and recovery. The police have started looking into the case.
