Woman loses Rs 20 crore in Aadhaar cyber fraud; scammers used digital arrest tactic
The scam began with a phone call on December 26 last year where the victim was informed that her Aadhaar details had been used to open a fraudulent bank account
Cyber fraud: An 86-year-old woman from Mumbai fell victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud, losing Rs 20.25 crore after scammers tricked her into believing that her Aadhaar card was being misused for illegal activities. The fraudsters, posing as law enforcement officials, coerced her into transferring money to multiple bank accounts to avoid legal action.
The scam began with a phone call on December 26 last year where the victim was informed that her Aadhaar details had been used to open a fraudulent bank account. The caller, impersonating a police officer, claimed that the account was involved in illegal transactions, including money laundering.
To escalate fear, the fraudsters threatened her with legal consequences, stating that her name and that of her daughter were implicated in the case. Under pressure, she was instructed to transfer large sums of money across multiple accounts to "settle" the case.
Adding to the deception, the scammers placed the elderly woman under a so-called "digital arrest", restricting her communication with anyone outside. This psychological manipulation ensured she did not reveal the scam while the fraud was ongoing.
The scam continued until March 3 when the woman realised she had been deceived. She promptly reported the fraud to the Mumbai Police, which launched an investigation. The authorities have since tracked the financial transactions and detained some of the individuals involved in the crime.
