Woman rescued from digital arrest by cons posing as cops

Bhopal: The Kolar police on Saturday responded to a digital arrest fraud case and saved a woman from falling victim to cyber-criminals.According to information, the police received a phone call informing them that Priya Saxena, a resident of Avantika Apartment, Kolar, was under digital arrest and was extremely frightened. Upon receiving this information, senior officers were alerted, and a police team was immediately dispatched to the location.Upon arrival, the police met Priya's father, who stated that his daughter was trapped in the digital arrest scam from 12:30pm to 2:40pm. She was in a state of panic but was counselled by cops.Priya Saxena, an HR professional at Blink Company, explained to the police that she received a call from an unknown number on which a man named Sumit claimed to be calling from TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). He falsely informed her that a SIM card was registered in her name on Jan 21, 2025. Shortly after, she received a WhatsApp video call from another number, where fraudsters posing as officers from Delhi Crime Branch alleged that her Aadhaar-linked SIM card was used to open a bank account in her name. They falsely claimed that a million dollars was deposited illegally into the account as part of a money laundering operation.The fraudsters further threatened that all her bank accounts would be frozen due to their connection with the fraudulent account. They attempted to manipulate her by suggesting a solution—to transfer all her money into a new account they would set up in her name.However, before she could comply, Priya used an excuse, saying she had to pick up her child from school. The scammers insisted that she keep the video call active, but she disconnected the call and immediately informed her father and the police.The Kolar police arrived at her residence and helped her escape the cyber scam, ensuring that she did not transfer any money and preventing a financial fraud.The phone numbers used by the scammers were found to be switched off when the police attempted to call them. Police officials are now working to trace the origin of these numbers and identify the fraudsters.