Metro India News | Hyderabad

An elderly woman from Himayathnagar recently lost Rs 38.7 lakh in digital arrest fraud. Cyber fraudsters claiming to be officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai police contacted the victim saying her Aadhar card details were linked to a money laundering case. They informed that her mobile number would be disconnected shortly.

The victim was introduced to Pradip Sawanth, who claimed to be an inspector of the Andheri police in Mumbai. During a video call, the cyber fraudster displayed a fake identification card and said that a person named Naresh Goyal, a key figure in money laundering and human trafficking cases, had transferred money into her bank account.

The victim was told that a case had been registered against her at the Andheri police station in Mumbai, which was a non-bailable offence. The fraudster threatened to arrest her, along with asset seizure and constant monitoring, warning that she would have to report to them every two hours. They also intimidated her into keeping the matter secret and made her show her flat over a video call to ensure she was alone. Pretending to offer a solution, they convinced the victim to transfer her bank balance to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

They further informed her that the RBI would verify her funds and return the money once it was confirmed that there was no black money involved. Believing his claims, the victim transferred Rs 38,70,000. However, her money was not returned. After realizing she had been scammed, she approached the police and filed a complaint. Based on the victim’s complaint, the Hyderabad cybercrime unit initiated the investigation of the digital arrest fraud.