73-year-old put under ‘digital arrest’, duped of Rs 16 lakh

A 73-year-old woman, resident of Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 6, Panchkula, here, was duped of Rs 16 lakh in the name of ‘digital arrest’ and a fake money laundering case.

The complainant, Roma Bhalla, said she lived with her husband in Panchkula while their children were married and lived abroad.

She said she received a call on October 24, and the caller claimed to be speaking from a USA-based company, FedEx. She said, “He told me that a parcel sent in my name to Iran had been seized by surveillance agencies and that fake passports, drugs and a few debit and credit cards had been found in the package.”

She said another individual claimed to be an inspector from the cyber crime department in Mumbai and asked her to join a telegram call with the area’s DCP. She was then sent a few photographs, showing a man in police custody, and told that it was a matter of money laundering; therefore, she had to remain in her house and not disclose this information to anyone as she was under digital arrest.

The fraudsters collected the details of her debit and credit cards and also asked her to transfer her mutual fund deposits to their account. The cheaters also directed her to transfer money to them from her bank accounts, stating that the money was supposed to be transferred to a savings account of the RBI, which would be returned to her in two days. The woman then transferred Rs 16 lakh to different bank accounts as directed.

The police have registered a case in the matter under various Sections of the BNS.