Bengaluru woman loses Rs318 million in 6-month ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud

Dubai: A 57-year-old woman from Bengaluru was allegedly defrauded of Rs31.83 crore (Rs318.3 million) over six months in a highly sophisticated “digital arrest” scam, where cybercriminals posing as DHL staff and senior officials of the CBI, RBI and Cybercrime Department kept her under continuous virtual surveillance and psychological confinement.

According to an FIR filed on November 14, the victim’s ordeal began on September 15, 2024, after she received a call claiming a parcel in her name sent from Mumbai contained passports, credit cards and MDMA, and that her identity had been misused for international crime. The call was then routed to impostors pretending to be CBI officials, who allegedly threatened arrest, warned her against contacting local police, and convinced her that criminals were monitoring her home, forcing her into silence.

The scammers, according to multiple Indian media reports, ordered her to install two Skype IDs, where a man identifying himself as Mohit Handa allegedly watched her via her phone camera, claiming she was under “house arrest.”

Another impersonator, Pradeep Singh, verbally abused her, threatened custody and forced her to “prove her innocence.”

Fake documents, including forged cybercrime clearance letters, were used to intensify fear, an NDTV report said.

Between September 24 and October 22, the woman allegedly shared full financial details and was told to deposit 90% of her assets for verification by the Financial Intelligence Unit.

She was later coerced into paying additional amounts as “surety” and “taxes.” In total, she made 187 transactions under continuous surveillance.

Despite receiving a fake clearance letter on December 1, 2024, the intimidation continued well into early 2025, with assurances that all funds would be returned by February.

Communication abruptly stopped on March 26, 2025, by which time she had lost nearly ₹32 crore.

The victim remained silent due to trauma, health issues and fear, and formally reported the crime only after her son’s wedding on June 8, 2025.