Elderly Woman Loses ₹20 Crore in Mumbai 'Digital Arrest' Scam

An elderly woman in south Mumbai lost more than ₹20 crore to a 'digital arrest' scam over two months. Posing as CBI officers, fraudsters extorted money by intimidating the victim. Cyber police have arrested three suspects and frozen ₹77 lakh as investigation continues.

An 86-year-old woman from South Mumbai fell victim to a 'digital arrest' scam, losing over ₹20 crore of her savings. The fraud, executed over two months, involved a perpetrator posing as a CBI officer who extorted money from the elderly victim by threatening her with legal consequences.

The accused reportedly coerced the woman into staying at home and provided her location to them. Police managed to freeze ₹77 lakh of her funds and arrested three individuals connected to the crime. Authorities revealed the perpetrators transferred the money to multiple accounts, complicating the recovery process.

This growing cyber fraud involves scammers impersonating law enforcement officials to intimidate victims. The fraudulent narrative included claims of her Aadhaar-linked bank involvement in money laundering. The victim's behavior alerted her domestic help, eventually assisting in uncovering the scam.

(With inputs from agencies.)