COIMBATORE: Cyber fraudsters swindled Rs 98 lakh from a retired govt lady doctor in Coimbatore by threatening her under the guise of a “digital arrest.”The victim, a 67-year-old retired doctor, who lives with her elderly mother in Sivananda Colony, received a WhatsApp video call in June. The fraudsters on the call introduced themselves as senior police officers and officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They threatened her by claiming that illegal money transfers had taken place using a bank account in her name.They told her that she was placed under “digital arrest,” instructing her not to leave her house and to stay confined inside a room until the investigation was complete. They told her that her money needed to be transferred to their accounts for verification and promised that the entire amount would be refunded once the inquiry concluded.Believing their claims, the terrified doctor spent around 10 days in constant fear and transferred Rs 98 lakh in multiple instalments to various bank accounts specified by the scammers. Once the funds were transferred, the fraudsters disconnected all calls and disappeared.Realising she had been cheated, the retired doctor lodged a complaint with the Coimbatore city cybercrime police on Friday. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and launched investigations.A cybercrime police officer said that Coimbatore city alone received over 6,500 complaints related to online fraud this year, in which people lost nearly Rs 48 crore to cyber scams.Police said law enforcement agencies never carry out “digital arrests” nor ask for money transfers. If anyone receives suspicious calls, they should immediately contact the cybercrime helpline at 1930 or report the incident at cybercrime.gov.in, police said.
