An 86-year-old woman from Mumbai was duped out of ₹20.25 crore in a sophisticated cyber fraud scheme, where scammers tricked her into believing that her Aadhaar card had been misused in illegal activities. The fraud, which took place between December 26 last year and March 3, was executed by criminals posing as law enforcement officers, according to a report by “The Indian Express”.
The scam began when the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer. The caller falsely alleged that her Aadhaar details had been used to open a bank account linked to illicit financial transactions, including money laundering. To make the deception more convincing, the fraudsters escalated the threat by stating that legal action would be taken against her and her family members, including her daughter. Under the pretense of resolving the issue, they coerced her into transferring large sums of money into multiple bank accounts.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the scammers placed the woman under what they termed as “digital arrest,” effectively isolating her and preventing her from discussing the situation with anyone. This psychological manipulation ensured that the fraud continued undetected for months.
Eventually, upon realizing that she had been deceived, the elderly woman approached the police, who swiftly launched an investigation. Authorities have since traced the fraudulent transactions and detained the suspects involved. The probe into the case remains ongoing.
Cyber fraud incidents like these highlight the urgent need for increased awareness, especially among senior citizens, to prevent them from falling prey to such schemes.
