Woman takes ₹5 lakh loan to pay ‘digital arrest’ gang ₹11.5 lakh

Police said after paying the fraudsters ₹6.5 lakh, the woman took a pre-approved personal loan of ₹5 lakh to pay the fraudsters

A 25-year-old woman was put under ”digital arrest” for a day and ended up losing ₹11.5 lakh to online fraudsters in Noida on September 26, said officials on Wednesday.

The suspect made her transfer ₹6.5 lakh and pressured her into taking a personal loan of ₹5 lakh, said the officer, adding that later, when she contacted one of her acquaintances, she came to know that she had fell into the trap of online fraudsters. (Representational image)

Police said after paying the fraudsters ₹6.5 lakh, the woman took a pre-approved personal loan of ₹5 lakh to pay the fraudsters.

Police said the complainant, Ridhima Goyal, who hails from Panchkula in Haryana, resides at a rented accommodation in a society in Sector 46, Noida. She works at a private company.

In her complaint to police, the woman said, “On September 26 around 11.43am, she received a call from an unidentified number, and an automatic message (IVR call) said that her international courier package was rejected.”

Her call was transferred to a customer care executive who said her package containing MDMA was seized at port, she alleged in the FIR. When she denied sending a package, the call was transferred to a cybercrime officer, she said.

After a brief conversation, her call was transferred to another person, who posed as an officer from the narcotics department of Mumbai Police.

“The woman was connected through a Skype video call and the “officer” told her that her Aadhaar was linked to money laundering of ₹8 crore,” said Vijay Kumar Gautam, station house officer, cybercrime branch, adding that later a man posing as the “director general of police” grilled her and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not cooperate.

The suspect made her transfer ₹6.5 lakh and pressured her into taking a personal loan of ₹5 lakh, said the officer, adding that later, when she contacted one of her acquaintances, she came to know that she had fell into the trap of online fraudsters.

Subsequently, she approached cyber police.

“On her complaint, a case under sections 308(2) (extortion), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act was registered at the cybercrime branch police station on August 14, and further investigation is underway,” added SHO Gautam.