Mumbai Woman Duped of ₹8.75 Lakh in Four-Day ‘Digital Arrest’ Cyber Scam

A 58-year-old woman from Andheri East was allegedly duped of ₹8.75 lakh after cyber fraudsters kept her under a so-called “digital arrest” for four days by threatening her with legal action and posing as officials from multiple government agencies.

According to police, the victim, a Senior Manager at a private company in Vikhroli, received a call from an unknown number on May 8 while at work. The caller, identifying himself as Akash Agarwal, claimed to be an official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and informed her that an FIR had been registered against her. He allegedly warned that her mobile number would be disconnected if she failed to report to Colaba Police Station within two hours.

When the woman said she could not leave work, the caller suggested resolving the matter via video call. She was then contacted through a WhatsApp video call, during which a woman asked her to display her Aadhaar card for verification. The call was later transferred to another individual who introduced himself as Vijay Khanna, claiming to be an officer from Colaba Police Station.

The fraudsters allegedly told the victim that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was probing a case linked to former Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal, and that a bank account connected to her Aadhaar details had been used in suspicious transactions. They claimed there were 247 suspects in the case and that she had been listed as suspect number 188.

Despite the woman denying any involvement, the accused reportedly pressured her to cooperate, instructing her to remain on a continuous video call, avoid speaking to anyone, refrain from answering phone calls, and not even check messages.

Police said the scammers used this prolonged intimidation to collect sensitive financial details, including information about her bank accounts, fixed deposits (FDs), Public Provident Fund (PPF), mutual funds, and other investments. They also allegedly sent her a fake arrest warrant and a forged Supreme Court order via WhatsApp to make the threat appear legitimate.

On May 11, the fraudsters allegedly told the woman that, as part of the so-called investigation, she needed to consolidate all her funds into one account and transfer the money to a “secret supervision account” for verification.

Fearing arrest, the woman transferred funds from multiple accounts and encashed deposits before sending a total of ₹8.75 lakhs in two transactions.

The scam came to light on May 13, when the accused allegedly demanded that she transfer her PPF savings as well. 
Growing suspicious, the woman disconnected the call and reported the incident to the cybercrime helpline 1930.

The Park Site Police have registered a case of cyber fraud against unidentified individuals who used the names Akash Agarwal, Vijay Khanna, Akash Khulari, and Suryakant, along with an unidentified woman.

Police officials said efforts are underway to trace the accused through the mobile numbers used, bank account records, and transaction details.

Authorities have once again urged citizens to remain cautious of calls from individuals claiming to be law enforcement or government officials demanding immediate financial action, warning that legitimate agencies do not conduct investigations or request money transfers through video calls.