Mumbai police are investigating a month-long cyber fraud case where 77-year-old South Mumbai woman was scammed of Rs 3.8 crore by con artists masquerading as senior law enforcers.
They allegedly used the threat of fear and counterfeit evidence in what is being referred to as the longest reported “digital arrest”.
How the scam unfolded
One day, a WhatsApp call was recieved to the elderly homemaker with the claim that a courier in her name was intercepted in Taiwan. The caller’s described contents of the package included passports, clothing, bank cards, and illegal drugs and claimed her Aadhaar card details were related to the crime.
The scammers then connected her to individuals posing as police officers, among whom one claimed to be IPS officer Anand Rana. Under the pretext of investigating a money laundering case, the fraudsters demanded her bank account details and coerced her into transferring money to verify her innocence.
To this deception, they added another officer purportedly from the finance section by introducing her to George Mathew. To add credence to their statements, they also issued a fake notice allegedly bearing the seal of the Mumbai Crime Branch.
She was also asked to keep a video call live for 24 hours to “track her compliance” and threatened to pick her up for arrest if the call was disconnected or she said anything at all to anyone about the case. She transferred money over a month in multiple tranches, starting with Rs 15 lakh and going up to Rs 3.8 crore in all.
When the refund failed to materialize, the lady became suspicious and confided in her daughter, who asked her to file a police complaint.
Now, the Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the case, which they call a very sophisticated and perfectly planned operation.
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