Vikas Nagar Police Foil Massive Cyber Fraud, Rescue Elderly Woman from 'Digital Arrest' Scam

The Vikas Nagar police in Lucknow recently stopped a massive cyber fraud. Acting on an internal tip-off, officers rescued a 75-year-old widow from a “digital arrest" scam and prevented the loss of nearly Rs 1.5 crore of her life savings. The victim, Usha Shukla, had been under extreme mental pressure for four days. Cyber criminals posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contacted her through repeated WhatsApp video calls. They claimed she was linked to a large money laundering and terror funding case involving Delhi and Kashmir. The fraudsters told her that her late husband’s Aadhaar card and mobile number had been misused in a Rs 50 crore terror funding case. Her husband, a former PWD employee, passed away eight years ago. Fearful and confused, the elderly woman believed the callers were genuine officers. To make their story convincing, the callers showed video visuals of people in uniform sitting in what looked like official offices. They warned her not to leave her house, not to contact family members, and to strictly follow their instructions. This form of control is known as “digital arrest". She was asked to share Aadhaar details, bank documents and other confidential papers. The fraudsters then instructed her to prematurely break her fixed deposits and transfer the money through RTGS to accounts provided by them. Unlike most cyber fraud cases that are reported after money is lost, the police acted before any transfer took place. On December 15, the Vikas Nagar police received information that an elderly woman in the area was under suspicious pressure. Officers rushed to her home while the fraudsters were still speaking to her on video call. To her shock, real police officers arrived at her doorstep. The police spoke to the callers and quickly realised it was a scam. Bank officials also played a key role in stopping the fraud. When the woman visited her Punjab National Bank branch to break a fixed deposit worth Rs 1.21 crore, the staff sensed something was wrong. Due to the large amount, the matter was escalated to the branch manager. The manager kept her engaged, alerted the police and helped freeze her bank accounts. Other banks were also informed to prevent any unauthorised transfers. Swipe Left For Next Video According to police officials, between December 11 and 15, the fraudsters had already collected several sensitive documents. This raised fears that money from multiple accounts could be siphoned off at any moment.