NEW DELHI: An 88-year-old woman from southeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar was allegedly kept under digital arrest for around 10 days by scammers who told her that she was linked to a money laundering case and coerced her into transferring Rs 78 lakh from her bank accounts.The woman, who lives alone as her children reside elsewhere, got a call around 5.30 pm on Aug 24. The caller allegedly told her that a money laundering case had been registered in connection with her bank accounts. The fraudsters reportedly showed her images purportedly depicting conversations involving several people, including a senior judicial official, and told her that they would help her get out of the alleged legal trouble and protect her family from any action.According to her complaint, the fraudsters then placed her under continuous surveillance and instructed her to report back to them every hour. She was also allegedly directed to keep her phone camera switched on throughout the night. The callers allegedly used multiple mobile numbers and WhatsApp calls to communicate with her.The fraudsters also allegedly made her download and use a social media application for communication.The woman transferred Rs 51 lakh from one of her bank accounts on Sept 1. On Sept 2, she transferred another Rs 27 lakh from another account through RTGS.The suspects allegedly instructed her to delete WhatsApp messages containing details of the bank accounts and transactions. They also warned her against informing anyone else about the matter. The woman continued following their instructions until Sept 2, when the fraud was eventually discovered by her family.The incident came to light after her elder daughter received an email notification from a bank regarding the Rs 27 lakh RTGS transaction made on Sept 2. The woman’s son-in-law, who lives in Gurgaon, subsequently visited her residence that evening. It was then that the family became aware of the alleged fraud.The woman subsequently reported the matter on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), where a complaint was registered on Sept 2. Her daughter also filed a complaint on her behalf on Sept 3.The fraudsters continued calling her until Sept 4, but she stopped answering the calls.Police said an inquiry was conducted by Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police. Based on the inquiry, an FIR was registered under Sections 318(4), 319, 340 and 61(2) of BNS. The sections relate to cheating, impersonation, offences involving forged documents or electronic records, and criminal conspiracy.
