Digital arrest: Retired Mangaluru woman loses Rs 3.09 crore pension; online scammers pose as postal officials | India News
MANGALURU: A retired woman in Mangaluru lost Rs 3.09 crore to cybercriminals in a “digital arrest” scam. The victim, Leni Prabhu, complained to the Cyber Economic and Narcotics police that on January 15, she received a missed call from an unknown number. When she called back, a woman claiming to be from the General Post Office said a parcel sent in Prabhu’s name to China had been intercepted, containing 150 grams of MDMA. The caller allegedly told her the offence could mean more than 75 years in prison. Pretending she could help, the fraudster said a no-objection certificate could be arranged if Prabhu paid money. Under pressure, Prabhu first sent Rs 55 lakh through RTGS. Between 17 January and 4 July, she made several transfers to accounts given by the scammers, totalling Rs 3.09 crore, nearly her entire pension savings. She realised it was a scam when the callers stopped answering her. Police say in “digital arrest” scams, fraudsters pretend to be law enforcement or government officials, accuse victims of crimes, and demand money to “settle” the case. The callers often pose as CBI, income tax, or customs officers. A case has been registered, and police are trying to trace the suspects and recover the money.
