Woman loses Rs 2.88 crore in 'virtual arrest' scam in Kochi

Kochi, Sep 6 (PTI) Police have launched a probe after a woman from Mattancherry here was allegedly duped of Rs 2.88 crore in a 'virtual arrest' cyber fraud, officials said on Saturday.

According to police, the 59-year-old woman from Anavathil in Mattancherry was first contacted on July 14 this year by a fraudster who introduced himself as Santhosh, a police officer from Tilak Nagar station in Mumbai.

He falsely claimed that she was implicated in a money laundering case involving Rs 2 crore, alleging she had received Rs 25 lakh as commission.

"The accused then placed the woman under a bogus 'virtual arrest', instructing her to keep her WhatsApp video call on throughout the day. They even staged a fake court proceeding where a 'judge' declared her guilty and ordered her to repay the alleged illegal money," a police officer said.

Fearing consequences, the woman transferred her entire savings into the bank accounts of the accused and later sold jewellery worth Rs 65 lakh, which was also deposited with them, police said.

The money was transferred 12 times from the bank account of the victim and her husband till August 11.

The scammers later declared her "acquitted" and warned her not to reveal the matter to anyone.

The fraud came to light only when the woman approached the Mattancherry police station on Saturday, seeking a clearance certificate to prove she had been acquitted of money laundering charges, police said.

"She was still under the impression that it was real. We explained to her that she was duped and recorded her statement. Efforts are on to freeze the bank accounts of the accused persons and recover the money," police said.

Police recorded a statement of the victim, and registered a case under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Information Technology Act.

The accused persons in the FIR were Santhosh Rao, Sakshi Agarwal, Vijay Khanna, Sanjay Khan, and Siva Subramanyam.

Police officials said that these names are bogus and attempts are being made to trace their real identities.

Last month, an elderly couple from Kanhangad in Kasaragod district lost Rs 2.4 crore in a similar scam, they added. PTI TBA ADB