Bengaluru: In a chilling case of cyber fraud, a woman was threatened with arrest and even a possible shooting by national security officials, before being coerced into transferring Rs 38 lakh under the pretext of a “digital arrest.“According to a complaint filed by Rathna (name changed), a homemaker residing at Indiranagar, her ordeal began around 3pm on March 11, when she received a call from +91 9505281348. The callers claimed her documents had been misused in money laundering and pornography frauds. When Rathna expressed shock and pleaded innocence, the fraudsters told her that a bank account had been opened in her name in Mumbai, through which funds were “routed to terrorists”.The fraudsters told her that her life was under threat and that she needed to confirm to them that she was safe once every two hours. They claimed that they were there to protect her and save her from arrest. One of the callers claimed that he was from a national security agency and told her that she had to be inquired into. Soon after, the fraudsters initiated a WhatsApp video call from another number in which they told her that police would arrest her soon and that “some people might shoot her as well.”The fraudsters then placed her under what they called a “standard protocol”, instructing her to stay on their call and avoid contacting anyone for 72 hours. Subsequently, they shared a few documents referring to “financial transactions” under the “Directorate of Enforcement” lens and collected her bank details, including the balance.To “verify” her finances and “clear her name”, they forced her to transfer Rs 38 lakh, saying it was a standard procedure of the RBI. They told her that the amount would be returned within 24 hours of the verification. The next day (March 12), around 3pm, Rathna told them she was unwell and could not continue the calls. The fraudsters intensified the pressure, threatening to freeze her bank accounts, seize her property, and arrest her immediately.Fearing the consequences, she agreed to cooperate. The fraudsters instructed her to go to her bank and transfer Rs 38 lakh to a current account in a private bank in the name of Sharvi Infotel Pvt Ltd. They warned her not to talk to anyone in the bank or inform them of the ongoing “investigation”.Only after transferring the money did she realise that she had fallen prey to an elaborate cyber scam and approached police the same night to lodge a complaint.A senior officer said a case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 308 (extortion) and 318 (cheating). As the victim approached within a few hours of losing the money, efforts are on to recover the maximum amount by freezing the bank accounts of the fraudsters, the officer added.
