Navi Mumbai: A 72-year-old woman from Vashi narrowly escaped losing nearly Rs 45 lakh after cyber fraudsters posing as CBI and police officers attempted to place her under ‘digital arrest’ and pressured her to transfer large sums of money, with timely intervention by the cyber cell preventing the major loss.
Fraudsters Use International Video Call to Threaten Senior Citizen
Vanmala Bhatankar (72), a resident of Sector-2, Vashi, who lives alone, received a WhatsApp video call at around 10 am from an international number. The caller claimed that 7 to 8 FIRs had been registered against her in Delhi and told her she was being placed under ‘digital arrest’. The fraudster allegedly kept the video call active continuously to create fear and psychological pressure, warning her of immediate arrest.
Under duress, she transferred Rs 40,000 from her Bank of Maharashtra account and Rs 98,000 from her State Bank of India account. The caller then sought details of her savings. She informed him that she had fixed deposits of approximately Rs 50 lakh in SBI and Rs 5 lakh in Bank of Maharashtra. The fraudster instructed her to prematurely close the FDs and transfer the funds to avoid further ‘legal action’.
Victim's Presence of Mind: Walks into Copshed During Transaction
She went to the bank to initiate the FD closure process, and even during the procedure, the video call remained active in her bag as the fraudster continued monitoring and pressuring her. However, sensing something was amiss, she decided to step out and consult the police. As the Vashi police station is located bang opposite the bank, she directly walked into the police station while the FD closure formalities were still underway.
Cyber officials Sandeep Waghmare and Mayur Jankar immediately responded and attempted to engage the fraudster, who disconnected the call. The matter was reported to Vashi Senior Police Inspector Shashikant Sandekar and Assistant Police Inspector Yogesh Bhosale. Acting under their guidance, the cyber team swiftly coordinated with the concerned banks and froze the accounts. As two transactions had already been made, a complaint was promptly registered on the National Cyber Crime Portal and the transferred amount was put on hold.
Police Praise Victim's Alertness, Confirm No Financial Loss
Confirming the incident, Vashi Senior Police Inspector Shashikant Sandekar said, “Fraudsters are misusing the concept of ‘digital arrest’ to threaten and mentally harass senior citizens. In this case, the victim showed presence of mind by approaching the police station immediately. Due to timely reporting and swift coordination with the banks, we were able to prevent a major financial loss.”
He further added, “The complainant has not registered an FIR as the amount she transferred has been kept on hold and she will receive it back after due procedure. Technically, she has not suffered any financial loss.”
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