A woman from Pune has reportedly lost Rs 40 lakh in a “digital arrest” fraud, allegedly orchestrated by a cyber criminal posing as a CBI officer. The fraudster claimed that her ATM card had been flagged in the Naresh Goyal money laundering case, manipulating her into liquidating all her savings.
According to the police, the victim, a technical writer in her 40s, was first contacted by someone claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The caller warned her of serious complaints against her, demanding her immediate appearance at a police station or risk an arrest warrant. She then received a second call from an individual impersonating a Mumbai police officer, who claimed that her ATM card was implicated in the money laundering case.
The fraudster further manipulated her by video calling, presenting himself as a police officer from Andheri, Mumbai. He claimed she was one of the 247 accused, involved in receiving illegal commissions. The victim was then contacted by a woman, posing as CBI officer Akanksha Agarwal, who insisted she remain under “digital custody” for a 24-hour period.
During this time, the victim was coerced into transferring large sums of money for an alleged audit by the RBI, amounting to Rs 40.6 lakh in eight transactions. After more money was demanded, the woman realized she had been scammed and reported the incident to the police.
Authorities have launched an investigation, and similar scams involving cyber criminals impersonating law enforcement agencies have been on the rise, with the Ministry of Home Affairs issuing advisories on such “digital arrest” schemes. These fraudsters often exploit the names of high-profile figures to intimidate victims into compliance.
Cyber investigators have highlighted the international scale of these scams, involving multiple syndicates that siphon off money through fraudulent accounts and cryptocurrency routes.
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