Indore (Madhya Pradesh): An elderly couple living in a posh colony in the Aerodrome area spent three days in a terrifying ‘digital arrest’ created by cyber criminals. The incident came to light when the couple, both retired government employees, contacted the State Cyber Cell after reading a newspaper report about a similar cyber fraud case published on Saturday.
SP (cyber cell) Sabyasachi Saraf said that after reading the article, the woman, a retired principal from a Government Higher Secondary School, and her husband, a retired bank officer,
recognised the pattern described in the article as similar to what was happening to them.
They immediately contacted him and explained that they had been under constant video call surveillance by unknown callers posing as CBI officers.
Upon receiving the complaint, inspector Sarita Singh and sub-inspector Ashish Jain reached couple’s home without delay. The officers ended the criminals’ control over the couple’s devices, blocked suspicious numbers and helped them file a report on the NCRP portal.
Saraf further said that the trouble began when the couple started receiving repeated calls from unknown numbers. The callers introduced themselves as CBI officials and shared their Aadhaar card details. Initially, the couple ignored these calls.
Three days before the complaint, one of the callers threatened that the couple would soon be arrested by a CBI team and taken to Mumbai. He claimed that a bank account was opened at a nationalised bank in Mumbai using their Aadhaar details, and crores of rupees had been transacted through it. The caller falsely accused them of taking illegal commission for allowing their Aadhaar to be misused.
The criminals then switched to video calls and showed fake visuals of police and court settings to frighten the couple. They ordered the couple to keep their phone camera on continuously, making them believe they were under official surveillance.
The couple, scared for their safety, followed every instruction. When their domestic help entered the bedroom for routine cleaning, the criminals scolded them and said no one should be allowed inside.
When the real cyber police arrived at the home, and the criminals saw the uniformed woman inspector on the couple’s screen, they immediately turned off their camera that displayed a fake Mumbai police logo, and disconnected the call.
The officials claimed that the prompt action by the State Cyber Cell prevented the criminals from causing further harm to the elderly couple.
