Bengaluru techie loses Rs 32 cr in months-long ''digital arrest'' scam
Bengaluru (PTI): A case has been registered in connection with a 57-year-old woman allegedly losing about Rs 32 crore in a sophisticated 'digital arrest' scam that lasted over six months, which is perhaps the largest cyber fraud of this type in Karnataka, police said on Monday.
Posing as CBI officers, the fraudsters enforced what is called as "digital arrest" by holding her under constant Skype surveillance. They used threats of arrest to coerce her into sharing all financial details and to make 187 bank transfers.
In her complaint, the software engineer of Indiranagar in the city stated that the ordeal lasted for over six months, until she got a 'clearance letter' from the fraudsters.
It began on September 15, 2024, with a call from a person claiming to be from DHL Andheri, alleging that a parcel booked in her name contained credit cards, passports and MDMA, and said her identity had been misused.
Before the woman could respond, the call was transferred to people posing as CBI officers, who threatened her and claimed "all evidence is against you".
The impostors warned her against contacting the police, saying criminals were watching her home. Fearing for her family and her son’s upcoming wedding, she remained silent.
The woman was instructed to install two Skype IDs and remain on video. A man identifying himself as Mohit Handa monitored her for two days, followed by Rahul Yadav, who watched her for a week.
Another impersonator, Pradeep Singh, posed as a senior CBI officer and pressured her to prove her innocence.
The complainant further said that the group appeared to know her phone activity and location, heightening her fear. They told her to verify all her assets with the Financial Intelligence Unit of the RBI and produced forged letters to make it appear official.
From 24 September to 22 October, Umarani shared details of her finances and transferred large sums.
Between 24 October and 3 November, she deposited a supposed surety amount of Rs two crore, followed by further payments for "taxes".
She was promised a clearance letter before her son’s engagement on December 6, and received a fake one. The pressure left the woman mentally and physically unwell.
Finally, the victim received the clearance letter on December 1, allowing the engagement to proceed. But she fell seriously ill after that, requiring a month of medical treatment to recover.
"All this time I had to report over Skype where I am and what I am doing. This person, Pradeep Singh, was in touch daily. I was told that money will be returned by February 25 after completion of all procedures," she added.
Post December, the scammers demanded processing charges, repeatedly delaying refunds to February, then March. All communication ceased on March 26, 2025.
The complainant waited until after her son’s wedding in June to come forward and lodge a complaint.
"In total, through 187 transactions I stand deprived of a total amount of approximately Rs 31.83 crores, which were deposited by me," she said. The woman has asked the authorities to investigate the entire incident.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
