Ghaziabad: Woman kept under digital arrest for 28 days, extorted of ₹56 lakh

A 55-year-old woman was kept under digital arrest for 28 days and robbed of ₹56 lakh, the Ghaziabad police said on Saturday.

The victim, Archana Khare, a resident of Vaishali, is a retired teacher.

“The cybercriminals pressured her and then placed her under digital arrest from April 1 to April 28 from morning to evening. They forced her to transfer ₹56 lakh from her accounts to five accounts. We have identified these accounts and have begun the process to freeze them. All five accounts are with banks in the country,” said Ambuj Singh Yadav, assistant commissioner of police (crime).

An FIR was registered at the cybercrime police station on May 1. The complainant said that she got a call on April 1 from someone claiming to be from the telecom regulatory authority who said that her mobile phone number would be disconnected in two hours because it was being misused.

“The call was connected to another person who told me that my number was used to send obscene messages. Then the call got connected to someone who claimed to be from the CBI, who said that my Aadhaar number was used to procure a SIM card, and 100 accounts were opened in which hawala money was received... thereafter, I was kept under digital arrest from 9.30am to 5.30-6pm on WhatsApp video calls when my husband was at office,” the FIR said.

The caller claimed to be an inspector and directed the victim to go to KG Marg, New Delhi where he asked her to transfer money from her accounts, said police.

“The complainant was under severe pressure and she finally revealed the incident to someone known to her. She was then advised to approach the police. We have registered the FIR and investigating to track the cyber criminals,” the ACP added.

The FIR was lodged under BNS sections 318(4) (cheating), 340(2) (forged electronic documents), 204 (personating a public servant), 308(2) (extortion), 351(4) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (acts done with common intention), and provisions of the IT Act.