E-Paper
Chandigarh: Now, elderly woman loses ₹2.5 crore to digital arrest fraud
The scammers posed as top officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Supreme Court
Another senior citizen from Sector 10-A, Chandigarh, has fallen victim to a sophisticated digital arrest scam, losing nearly ₹2.5 crore after scammers posed as top officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Supreme Court.
In April, 82-year-old Colonel Dalip Singh Bajwa (retd) was duped of ₹3.41 crore by scammers posing as Enforcement Directorate officials.
According to the woman’s complaint, the scam began on May 3 when she received a call from someone claiming to be a TRAI official. The caller informed her that her phone number had been misused and was linked to criminal activity. She was told that an FIR (MH 5621/0225) had been filed in her name and that her number would soon be deactivated unless she cooperated.
The caller then transferred her to a man who identified himself as Arvind Sharma. He warned her of severe consequences and assured her that a police officer would soon contact her for further investigation. Shortly after, she received a WhatsApp call from someone introducing himself as Vijay Khanna, the “investigating officer”. Khanna added her to a group video call with six others, including a man claiming to be Raj Ranjan, a deputy inspector general and chief investigating officer of the CBI.
During the call, the scammers presented forged arrest warrants and falsely accused her of being involved in a money laundering case linked to the CEO of Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal. They claimed that an account had been opened in her name at Canara Bank, Mumbai, without her knowledge. To add authenticity to their claims, they presented the woman with forged Supreme Court documents and a “confidentiality agreement”. She was coerced into taking an oath of secrecy to maintain the integrity of a “confidential CBI investigation”.
On May 4, the scammers escalated pressure on the woman, informing her that she was under “digital surveillance” and must keep her phone switched on at all times. They threatened her with severe consequences, including freezing of her assets, if she deviated from their instructions. The fraudsters then demanded full disclosure of her financial details, including bank accounts, mutual funds, insurance policies and other savings.
On May 5, the scammers added the woman to another group video call, where a person posing as the Chief Justice of India presented her with what appeared to be a Supreme Court order. The fraudulent document instructed her to transfer her funds to a “secret supervision account” within 48 hours. She was also shown a fake petition to the Chief Justice, requesting the attachment of her assets.
Over the next few days, the scammers micromanaged her every move, giving her detailed instructions on when and how to visit the bank and how to behave in public. Fearing consequences, the woman complied with their demands. Following their instructions, she transferred nearly ₹2.5 crore.
The fraud, which unfolded over several days, is now under investigation by the cyber police station, Sector 17.
