Cyber Criminals Con ₹3 Crore From 70-Year-Old Doctor, Hold Her Under 'Digital Arrest' for Eight Days

In a distressing cyber fraud instance, a 70-year-old doctor from Mumbai was duped out of ₹3 crore by fraudsters who put her under "digital arrest" for eight days.The scam began in May, when the victim received a phone call from a man pretending to be Amit Kumar of the telecom department. He claimed that a SIM card registered to her name was being used for illegal uses. 

Shortly after, another caller claimed himself as Crime Branch officer Samadhan Pawar.He informed her that her bank and debit card information had been discovered during a raid on the residence of an airline company owner suspected of money laundering.This increased her worry, especially after she got fake paperwork apparently from government agencies such as the CBI, RBI, and Enforcement Directorate. 

The scammers went to extreme to convince her. A man dressed as a police officer even spoke with her spouse via video call. Fearing punishment and public humiliation, the old doctor followed their instructions. She was held under constant video monitoring for eight days—what the scammers referred to as a "digital arrest" and was had to check in with them every hour. 

Fear led her to transfer ₹3 crore to various accounts provided by the fraudsters.She finally contacted the cyber police on June 5. Investigators found that ₹82 lakh had already been converted into cryptocurrency. 

Police are now seeking to find the criminals and recover the stolen funds. This instance is a disturbing reminder of how skilled and smart criminals have become—and how crucial it is to remain alert no matter your age or profession.

This article is based on information from NDTV