Claiming that she has been ‘digitally arrested’ cyber frauds extort Rs 48.48 lakh from dean of a top medical college
The doctor was further informed that Mishra had also opened three bank accounts using her Aadhaar card, which were being used for illegal activities, and she was requested to lodge a police complaint.
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A case of extortion, cheating, and cheating by impersonation was registered at the South Cyber Police Station in Mumbai on Tuesday. A 63-year-old doctor, and dean of a top college in Mumbai, has filed a complaint with the police after falling victim to a cyber fraud scheme, losing 48.28 lakh. The police said that the fraudsters impersonated police officers, claiming that her Aadhaar card had been used to open three bank accounts in Uttar Pradesh for illegal activities. Under the guise of arresting her, the fraudsters pressured her to pay.
According to police officials, a person who identified himself as Rajiv Kumar initially contacted the complainant on her mobile number. The caller alleged that he worked for a telecom company and that one Sunil Kumar Mishra had misused her Aadhaar card details to buy a SIM card in Lucknow.
The doctor was further informed that Mishra had also opened three bank accounts using her Aadhaar card, which were being used for illegal activities, and she was requested to lodge a police complaint.
“While she was considering where to lodge a complaint, Kumar reached out to her again and informed her that there were 17 FIRs registered against her, including a case of money laundering, and that one ACP Pramod Kumar was investigating the matter,” an officer said.
Subsequently, the fraudsters sent her an arrest warrant along with a document threatening to freeze her bank accounts. “The doctor was further threatened that her son, who is based in the USA, would be called to India and arrested for the crime,” the police complaint read.
During the course of a video call, the doctor was told that she had been “digitally arrested” while Kumar was conducting an “e-investigation under the new Digital India movement”.
“She was also pressured not to tell anyone about her digital arrest, and under the pretext of helping her get out of trouble, the fraudsters took all the details related to her bank accounts and other investments,” an officer said.
“For two to three days, the fraudsters started calling me repeatedly and alleged that I would have to withdraw money from my fixed deposits, shares, and mutual funds investments and asked me to deposit it in the Supreme Court. It would help my case,” read the statement of the complainant.
The doctor then withdrew Rs 48.28 lakh from her fixed deposit and transferred it to the bank accounts dictated by the fraudsters in 19 different transactions. Later in the day, when she shared her ordeal with a friend, she realised that she had been duped by cyber fraudsters.
The 63-year-old then shared the information with her husband, after which she lodged a complaint at the helpline number of the state cyber department on August 29.
A case of extortion, cheating, and cheating by impersonation was registered at the South Cyber Police Station in Mumbai on Tuesday.
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