Lucknow: A woman in Lucknow was allegedly duped of ₹1.55 crore in a sophisticated cyber fraud after unidentified callers threatened her with legal action over the alleged misuse of her Aadhaar number and subjected her to a prolonged “digital arrest”.
According to the complaint, the victim, Dr Zia Sultana, wife of the late Dr Sajid Raza and a resident of Shah Najaf Imambara Campus on Rana Pratap Marg in the Hazratganj area, was contacted by unidentified persons who allegedly claimed to be officials of the ATS Department in Pune, Maharashtra.
The fraudsters reportedly told her that her Aadhaar number had been used in connection with an illegal or terrorist activity. Using the threat of serious legal consequences, they allegedly convinced her that she was under investigation and subjected her to what is commonly known as a “digital arrest”.
During the course of the alleged fraud, the victim was manipulated into transferring a total of ₹1.55 crore to accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
Cyber Crime Police Act Swiftly
Following the complaint, the Cyber Crime Police initiated an investigation and took immediate action to trace the financial transactions associated with the fraud.
Police officials said they succeeded in freezing the fraudulent bank accounts used in the operation, preventing further withdrawal or transfer of the funds.
As a result of the intervention, ₹43,14,024 of the amount allegedly defrauded from the victim has been recovered and returned to her.
The recovery represents a significant portion of the funds that could be traced and secured by the investigating team.
Fraudsters Exploit Fear of Legal Action
The case highlights the growing threat posed by “digital arrest” scams, in which fraudsters impersonate police officers, investigators or other government officials and threaten victims with arrest or legal proceedings.
In this case, the accused allegedly used the victim’s Aadhaar details and claims of links to illegal or terrorist activities to create fear and pressure her into complying with their instructions.
Cyber Crime Police have urged people not to transfer money to anyone claiming to be a police or government official over a phone or video call. Genuine law-enforcement agencies do not conduct arrests or investigations by keeping citizens under a so-called digital arrest or forcing them to transfer money to bank accounts.
The investigation into the case and efforts to trace the remaining amount and identify those behind the fraud are continuing.
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