Retired woman loses Rs21 lakh in digital arrest fraud

Pune: Cybercrooks posing as telecom department officials duped a 68-year-old retired woman from Hadapsar of Rs 20.70 lakh in a recent digital arrest scam between Jan and Feb this year.The crooks frightened the woman by falsely claiming that her bank account was involved in money laundering. Under the guise of verification, they convinced her to transfer her funds and ultimately cheated her.The woman filed a complaint with Hadapsar police on Wednesday.An officer from the Hadapsar police said the scam began on Jan 13 when a man contacted her, posing as a telecom official. "The caller told the woman that a mobile number registered in her name was being used to make obscene calls and share inappropriate videos. He also told her that a case had been registered against her and instructed her to travel to Mumbai for questioning," the officer said.The woman told the caller that she could not leave Pune, so he provided another person's number."Soon after, she received a call from that number. The caller told her that a businessman arrested in a Rs2 crore money laundering case had used her bank account. He also told her that a debit card in her name had been found in his possession. He warned that she could face arrest," the officer said."The fraudster then gained her trust and asked her to cooperate by sharing details of her bank accounts, investments, gold and fixed deposits. Following his instructions, the woman sold her shares and gold jewellery, deposited the money into her bank account, and transferred Rs 20.70 lakh to an account number provided by the scammers," he said.The officer said the fraudsters assured her they would return the money after verification, however, she did not receive any refund. "She realised she had been cheated and reported the matter to the police," he added.