Stories
Pune Woman Loses Rs 1.7 Crore in Digital Arrest Scam Over Fake Message
- •A 76-year-old senior citizen from Bavdhan, Pune, fell victim to a massive cyber fraud involving digital arrest.
- •Fraudsters called the elderly woman claiming an offensive message was sent from her mobile number.
- •A scammer posing as Mumbai Crime Branch officer Vijay Khanna threatened her with arrest in a money laundering case using a fake warrant.
- •Panicked by the threats, the woman transferred 1 crore 69 lakh 98 thousand rupees to the fraudsters under the guise of an investigation.
- •The victim later realized she was cheated and registered a complaint at the cyber police station.
Key Questions Answered
Fraudsters contacted the 76-year-old woman from Pune via an unknown number and a WhatsApp call, falsely claiming that offensive content had been sent from her mobile number. Posing as Mumbai Crime Branch and Department of Telecommunications officers, they threatened her with arrest in a money laundering case using a fake warrant and forced her to transfer Rs 1 crore 69 lakh 98 thousand to a designated bank account.
Indian investigative agencies like the CBI, Crime Branch, police, or RBI never make arrests or check bank account funds over video calls. Citizens should not panic, cut the call immediately, visit their nearest local police station to inquire directly, and report cyber fraud to the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930.
Cyber criminals are heavily targeting educated seniors in Pune through various online scams, including fake investment schemes and digital arrest threats. For instance, a 68-year-old lawyer lost Rs 14.25 crore to stock market investment frauds, while an 82-year-old man was conned out of nearly Rs 10.75 crore by fraudsters posing as CBI officers in a virtual court setup.
