A 76-year-old homemaker in a south Delhi neighborhood endured a harrowing 14-day ordeal as she was held under digital arrest by cybercriminals. Between April 20 and May 4, fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police and Enforcement Directorate officers drained Rs 1.4 crore from her accounts. The stolen money represented the lifetime savings of her late husband, accumulated through years of service.
The Beginning of the Scam
The ordeal started with a landline call on April 20. The caller claimed to be a senior Mumbai Police officer and accurately recited the victim's full name, address, and the fact that she lived alone. She was told that her bank accounts had been used to fund a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in 26 deaths. The fraudsters informed her that a non-bailable warrant had been issued against her.
Psychological Manipulation
A relative of the victim described the psychological torture inflicted by the scammers. While one individual pretended to believe her innocence, another would scream and demand immediate action. This coercive tactic was designed to break her resolve and maintain control. The scammers insisted on a 'financial cleaning' of her accounts to prove her innocence.
Digital Arrest and Isolation
The conversation was shifted from the landline to a smartphone, ensuring total control. For two weeks, the victim was placed under digital arrest. She was ordered to keep a video call active for over 16 hours a day. Even during visits to banks, she was instructed to carry a bag with the phone inside, with the video call running silently. She was told to watch only bhajans on TV to calm herself down.
The woman managed to hide her crisis from her two children, who live abroad, and other relatives. At one point, she mentioned a Wi-Fi issue during a call, but when her relative offered to send a friend over to fix it, she insisted it was already handled. Even her two domestic helps noticed nothing unusual during this period.
Financial Drain
Over the 14-day period, the victim visited multiple bank branches to break fixed deposits, including one worth Rs 30 lakh. The family expressed outrage that despite her history of modest spending, these massive and atypical transactions were never flagged by the banks. Her withdrawal limit was Rs 10,000 at a time, and her sister had ensured a relationship manager at the private bank stayed in touch, yet no one questioned the unusual activity.
End of the Ordeal
The digital arrest only ended on May 4, once the victim's accounts were completely drained. She then reached out to her family, and the police were informed. An FIR has been registered, recipient bank accounts have been identified, and an investigation is underway.
The case highlights the growing menace of digital arrest scams, where cybercriminals exploit fear and isolation to extort money from vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly.
