One of the accused, a water purifier technician, allegedly operated the bank account used to receive the extorted money, while the other, a businessman, was responsible for supplying the account.
According to the officer, between September 5 and 8, repeated WhatsApp calls were made to her by the accused, who posed as Bangalore police and officials from other agencies. Fabricated documents bearing the names of the Supreme Court, Enforcement Directorate, Reserve Bank of India, and other institutions were used to falsely implicate her in a human trafficking case. Under sustained threats of arrest, Rs 6,60,543 was transferred from her Union Bank pension account to an ICICI Bank account controlled by the accused.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that an elaborate and organised cyber fraud led to the death of a 76-year-old retired doctor in Hyderabad, who suffered a heart attack after being kept under “digital arrest” for nearly 70 hours. The fraudsters extorted Rs 6.6 lakh from her pension account through threats, intimidation, and forged documents. Shockingly, the harassment continued even after her death.
Also Read:Unfortunate: 76-year-old doctor dies of heart attack after 3-day digital arrest
Despite transferring the money, the victim continued to face sustained intimidation and psychological harassment from the fraudsters. The relentless pressure caused her immense distress, leading to a cardiac arrest on September 8, which resulted in her death.
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police are actively investigating the case and have filed charges against the accused for cyber fraud and harassment. Both men were apprehended following a thorough probe.
Also Read: Ophthalmologist threatened in fake Digital Arrest scam
Speaking to the Hindu, Investigators explained that the fraudsters used caller ID spoofing, WhatsApp video calls, and forged documents such as arrest warrants and RBI letters to frighten victims. They pressured targets into transferring money under the guise of verification or for obtaining a so-called ‘No Involvement Certificate’. Police emphasised that there is no such thing as a digital arrest and that no law enforcement agency demands money to clear names or issue certificates.
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