“Mumbai Woman Defrauded of ₹3.8 Crore in India’s Longest Recorded Digital Arrest Scam”
In what is being considered the longest known case of a ‘digital arrest’ scam in India, a 77-year-old woman from Mumbai was defrauded of ₹3.8 crore by scammers posing as law enforcement officers. This unprecedented fraud began with a WhatsApp call, which eventually trapped the woman in an elaborate scheme lasting an entire month.
In what is being considered the longest known case of a ‘digital arrest’ scam in India, a 77-year-old woman from Mumbai was defrauded of ₹3.8 crore by scammers posing as law enforcement officers. This unprecedented fraud began with a WhatsApp call, which eventually trapped the woman in an elaborate scheme lasting an entire month.
According to reports, the woman, a homemaker residing with her husband in South Mumbai, was first contacted by the scammers who claimed that a parcel she allegedly sent to Taiwan had been intercepted. They falsely stated that the parcel contained several illegal items, including five passports, around four kilograms of clothing, MDMA drugs, and a bank card.
To make the scam appear legitimate, the fraudsters sent the woman a counterfeit crime branch notice. When the woman denied sending any such parcel, the scammers further manipulated her, claiming that her Aadhaar card details had been misused. They transferred her call to another individual pretending to be an officer from the Mumbai Crime Branch, who repeated the same fabricated story.
The woman was then coerced into downloading Skype for further communication. She received a call from a man claiming to be IPS officer Anand Rana. During this call, she was instructed not to disconnect or share any details about the case with others. Later, another individual, posing as a finance officer, joined the conversation and directed her to transfer money into a designated account as part of the ongoing investigation. He assured her that if she was found innocent, the money would be returned.
The scammers kept the woman on the phone for 24 hours a day, and if the call was ever disconnected, they would immediately call back and threaten her. Initially, she transferred ₹15 lakh. Over the course of the following month, the scammers continued their manipulation, eventually swindling a total of ₹3.8 crore from the woman.
It was only after the woman grew suspicious and, having not heard back about the case, shared her ordeal with her daughter that the scam was exposed. The authorities have since stepped in, with the Mumbai Crime Branch warning the public about the rise of such scams, where individuals are tricked into transferring money under the guise of investigations or digital arrests.
This case highlights the increasing prevalence of digital frauds, with scammers using sophisticated tactics, including fake notices from law enforcement agencies, to dupe unsuspecting individuals. Authorities continue to urge the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately.
The ‘digital arrest’ scam has been a growing concern, and experts advise that people should never share personal information over unverified calls or messages, particularly if the caller pressures them to act quickly.
Sources By Agencies
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