Maharashtra Cyber Department Rescues Elderly Women from Digital Arrest Scam
Maharashtra Cyber Department saves two elderly women from a digital scam, recovering millions and preventing further losses.
Mumbai, October 14 (Daily Kiran) : The Maharashtra Cyber Department has made significant strides in combating digital fraud, successfully rescuing two elderly women from a sophisticated scam. In one case, a 74-year-old woman lost an astounding ₹3 crore (approximately $360,000), while another elderly woman from Delhi was saved just in time after already losing ₹27 lakh (around $32,500).
The incident began in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where the 74-year-old was targeted by fraudsters posing as police and government officials. They instilled fear in her, convincing her that she was under a digital arrest. Under pressure, she transferred nearly ₹3 crore to various accounts as instructed by the scammers.
Upon learning of the fraud, the Maharashtra Cyber technical team quickly collaborated with local police to investigate the movement of the stolen funds. They conducted a thorough analysis of financial transactions related to the case.
During the investigation, the team identified a “Layer-1 mule account” that was being used in the fraudulent scheme. They discovered that approximately ₹89 lakh (about $107,000) had passed through this account, which also received a recent RTGS credit of ₹14 lakh (around $17,000) from UCO Bank.
This transaction led investigators to suspect that the same gang might be targeting other victims. Acting swiftly, the cyber team initiated backward tracing and sent an urgent notice to UCO Bank for KYC details. The investigation revealed that the sender of the money was a woman residing in New Delhi.
Further inquiries confirmed that this woman was also ensnared in the same digital arrest scam, having transferred ₹27 lakh and preparing to send more funds. The Maharashtra Cyber Department promptly contacted the Delhi police, identifying the woman and preventing her from incurring further losses.
Authorities are urging the public to be vigilant. They emphasize that no government agency, including the police or CBI, can initiate a digital arrest over the phone. Anyone receiving such calls should immediately reach out to the cyber helpline at 1930.
