An 86-year-old woman in Mumbai fell prey to a cyber fraud and digital arrest scam, losing more than ₹20 crore after receiving a call about misusing her Aadhaar card. As reported by Indian Express, the scammers impersonated police officials and convinced the victim that someone had used her Aadhaar card for illegal activities. They pressured her to transfer money to multiple bank accounts to resolve the issue.
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Mumbai Woman Loses ₹20.25 Crore in Police Impersonation Scam
The report mentioned that between December 26 of the previous year and March 3, the scammers successfully swindled ₹20.25 crore from the victim.
In the first call that initiated the scam, the caller told the victim that someone had used her Aadhaar card and other personal details to open a new bank account in India. Posing as a police officer, the caller claimed that the account involved money transfers linked to various illegal activities, such as money laundering. Once the fraudsters set the scam in motion, they moved to the next stage, delivering a threat. The caller warned that legal action would target her and her family members, including her daughter. To avoid the situation, the victim had to transfer money into multiple bank accounts.
During the entire duration of the scam, the fraudsters instructed the victim to stay under “digital arrest,” preventing her from disclosing the situation to anyone.
According to the report, once the victim became aware of the scam, she contacted the police, who swiftly began an investigation. The authorities have tracked the money transfers and detained the scammers. The investigation is still ongoing.
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