Bengaluru: Woman falls prey to 'digital arrest' scam, loses over Rs 2.05 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): A 57-year-old woman fell prey to an alleged "digital arrest" scam and lost over Rs 2.05 crore to cybercriminals, who posed as law enforcement officials, police said on Tuesday.
'Digital arrest' is a form of cyber fraud where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers and threaten people through audio or video calls, forcing them to transfer money online.
The woman was also coerced into selling multiple properties and taking bank loans to meet the fraudsters' demands, they said.
The offence is said to have occurred between June 19 and November 27, police said.
According to the complaint, on June 19, 2025, he received a call from an unidentified number claiming to be from Blue Dart courier company, informing her that a baggage allegedly linked to her Aadhaar card contained drugs and that Mumbai Police would arrest her.
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The caller then instructed her to install an app and began video calling her regularly. In the first week, they continuously monitored her through video and WhatsApp calls, the FIR stated.
It further stated that the accused allegedly appeared on video calls wearing police uniforms and claimed to be officers of the rank of inspector and deputy commissioner of police.
Police said the accused used to contact the complainant through multiple unknown mobile numbers and demanded money, threatening that her son's life would be in danger if payments were not made.
Fearing arrest and harm to her family, the complainant sold two plots in Malur at a low price, disposed of an apartment in Vignan Nagar, and also availed a loan from a private bank to arrange the money, which was transferred to the accused, the FIR said.
From June 20, she had transferred Rs 2,05,16,652, the FIR stated.
The fraud came to light when the accused allegedly asked the complainant to visit a police station to obtain a 'no-objection certificate' and promised that the entire amount would be returned, following which the victim realised that she had fallen prey to a digital arrest scam.
Based on her complaint, a case was registered at Whitefield CEN crime police station on November 27 under Sections 319 (2) (Cheating by personation) and 318 (4) (Cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, police said, adding that further investigation is under way.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
