Mumbai woman loses ₹20.25 crore in digital arrest scam linked to Aadhaar misuse threat

An 86-year-old woman in Mumbai became victim of cyber fraud and a digital arrest scam, losing over ₹20 crore after getting a call about misuse of her Aadhaar card.

According to a report by Indian Express, the fraudsters called the victim posing as police officials. They convinced her that her Aadhaar card was being misused for illegal activities and forced her to transfer money to several bank accounts to settle the case.

The report stated that between December 26 of last year and March 3, the scammers managed to dupe the victim of ₹20.25 crore.

A call that started the scam worth Rs. 20.25 crore

In the initial call that set the whole scam up, the caller told the victim that her Aadhaar card and other personal information had been used to open a new bank account in India. The caller, who was posing as a police officer, said that the concerned account was allegedly being used to initiate money transfers related to several illegal activities, including money laundering.

After the stage was set, the scammers activated the next stage of their plan, and in came the threat. The caller said that legal action would be taken against her, stating that the case would involve both her name and her family members, including her daughter. To get out of the ordeal, she was asked to transfer money into several bank accounts.

Throughout the whole period that the scam went on, the scammers instructed the victim to remain under ‘digital arrest.’ This prevented the woman from sharing the information with anyone.

According to the report, once the victim realised the scam, she reported it to the police, who immediately launched an investigation. The police have also reportedly tracked the transfers and have detained the scammers. The investigation is ongoing.