E-Paper
Police rescue elderly woman after 4-day digital arrest, foil ₹1.5-crore fraud
Cops managed to stop the premature liquidation of a fixed deposit worth ₹1.21 crore, other investments and got the woman’s bank accounts frozen.
Contrary to the perception that police often don’t write complaints and step in only after the damage is done, the Vikas Nagar police in Lucknow pulled off a rare cyber rescue, foiling a ₹1.5-crore digital fraud while it was still underway with the victim being under a ‘digital arrest’.
The police acted swiftly to foil the attempt of cyber cons to dupe Usha Shukla, 75, a widow, of her entire savings after she was psychologically trapped by the fraudsters posing as CBI officials for four days. Sources said alertness of bank officials also played a part in this rescue operation.
Unlike most cyber fraud cases that surface through Dial 112 or after money has been transferred, the police received a tip-off through internal sources that an elderly woman in the area was under extreme pressure from suspected cyber criminals. Acting promptly, the police reached the woman’s residence much to her surprise, as she believed the men appearing on her phone screen were the “real” officers handling her case.
Through timely intervention, cops managed to stop the premature liquidation of a fixed deposit worth ₹1.21 crore and other investments and got the woman’s bank accounts frozen. They also exposed a growing modus operandi being used by cyber criminals posing as central agency officials. The accused chose Delhi and Kashmir terror cases to sound more authentic and scare the elderly citizen. They even instructed her to prematurely break her fixed deposits and transfer all her money into a savings account, after which it was to be sent via RTGS to accounts provided by them.
According to DCP (east) Shashank Singh, the incident came to light when information was received at Vikas Nagar police station on Monday. “The elderly woman, a resident of the area, had been receiving repeated WhatsApp video calls and phone calls from unknown persons impersonating CBI officers,” he added.
“On receiving information about the woman, we reached her home... she was surprised as she was thinking of the men on screen as cops. They were speaking to her for days, and even spoke to us on a call,” said AK Singh, SHO, Vikas Nagar.
According to Singh, the fraudsters allegedly threatened her by claiming that her late husband’s mobile number and Aadhaar card had been used in a massive money laundering case involving terrorist funding worth around ₹50 crore. They also told her that the money was used in terror incidents in Kashmir and Delhi and that she was under investigation by the CBI’s Pune unit.
The victim’s husband, who worked in the PWD, passed away eight years ago. One of her sons works in a private bank, while the other son is no more, he added.
“To make their claims appear genuine, the callers made WhatsApp video calls showing individuals in uniform sitting inside what appeared to be an office set-up. The woman was mentally pressured and “digitally arrested”, meaning she was instructed not to step out of her house, not to contact any relatives and to follow their instructions strictly. She was warned of dire consequences, including arrest and threats to her family, if she disobeyed,” he informed.
The officer said the fraudsters obtained her Aadhaar details, bank information and other confidential documents under sustained psychological pressure. However, the woman became suspicious and contacted the Vikas Nagar police. Acting swiftly, the police team coordinated immediately with banks concerned and informed the cyber cell. The woman was counseled and made aware that she was being targeted by cyber fraudsters.
“Further inquiry revealed that between December 11 and 15, the cyber criminals had already gained access to many sensitive documents, raising fears that funds from multiple bank accounts could be siphoned off,” the station in charge added.
ACP (Ghazipur) Anindaya Vikram Singh said the police coordinated with banks to freeze all her accounts and successfully prevented a large-scale digital fraud.
How police got intel
The woman, who has an account in Punjab National Bank’s Mama Chauraha branch in Vikas Nagar, reached there to prematurely break the FD. As the amount involved was large, the bank staff escalated the matter to the branch manager. Sensing something amiss, the manager kept her engaged, conducted an internal check, informed the police, and also got her other bank accounts frozen, said sources.
SCAM UNFOLDED, STOPPED
DEC 11: The 75-year-old widow receives the first WhatsApp video call from men posing as CBI officials. They accuse her of links to terror funding cases in Delhi and Kashmir.
DEC 12–13: Fraudsters keep her under constant video surveillance, instructing her not to step out or contact family. They extract Aadhaar, bank and personal documents.
DEC 14: She is directed to prematurely liquidate fixed deposits and prepare RTGS transfers to “safe accounts” shared by the callers.
DEC 15 (Morning): Vikas Nagar police receive an internal tip about a woman being digitally detained by cyber fraudsters and rush to her residence.
DEC 15 (Afternoon): Police intervene while fraudsters are still on video call, coordinate with banks, halt the premature encashment of ₹1.21 crore FD, and freeze all accounts.
DEC 15 (Evening): The victim is counselled by police and cyber cell; ₹1.5 crore in savings successfully secured.
