Cyber Crime
Mumbai Woman Blackmailed in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam: Stripped and Scammed of Rs 1.78 Lakh
Mumbai : A 26-year-old woman from became the victim of a sinister cybercrime when fraudsters, posing as Delhi police officers, coerced her into stripping during a video call and scammed her of Rs 1.78 lakh under the pretext of a fabricated “digital arrest” linked to a fake money laundering case.
The victim, a pharmaceutical employee residing in Borivali, was targeted on November 19 and 20 while at work in Andheri. The scammers, using multiple phone numbers, implicated her in a non-existent money laundering case involving jailed Jet Airways founder. Claiming confidentiality, they intimidated her with threats of arrest and instructed her to book a hotel room for a “private interrogation” via video call.
Once she complied, the fraudsters demanded she transfer Rs 1.78 lakh to “verify” her bank account details. Later, under the pretense of “body verification,” they coerced her into undressing on a video call. Realizing the extent of the financial and sexual exploitation, the woman lodged a complaint at the Dahisar police station on November 28.
The case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 319(2), 318(4), 204, 74, 78, 79, 351(2), and 3(5), as well as Sections 66(D) and 67(A) of the Information Technology Act. The investigation has since been transferred to the Andheri police.
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This chilling incident mirrors a similar scam targeting chairman of the Vardhman Group, who was defrauded of Rs 7 crore by con artists employing the same modus operandi, invoking Jet Airways founder’s name and threatening him with a “digital arrest.”
Authorities are actively investigating both cases, urging the public to remain vigilant against such sophisticated cyber fraud schemes.
