Mumbai: TV actor duped of ₹6.5L after 7-hour-long 'digital arrest'
What's the story
A 26-year-old television actor, who has worked in several Bengali shows and a few Hindi serials, was allegedly duped of ₹6.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters on Monday. The scammers reportedly placed her under "digital arrest" for seven hours, threatening legal action and passport freezing if she didn't comply with their demands. The incident took place after the victim received multiple phone calls, including a video call from someone posing as a Delhi Police officer.
Deceptive tactics
How the fraud took place
The victim, who recently moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood, was first contacted by a person claiming to be from a mobile service provider. This individual warned her that her phone number would be deactivated due to illegal banking activities. Shortly after, she received a WhatsApp video call from someone posing as a Delhi Police officer.
Threats issued
Scammer threatened her with legal action
During the video call, the fraudster, who was dressed in a police uniform, allegedly threatened the actor with legal action and a passport freeze. They claimed that she was linked to several bank fraud cases and demanded her Aadhaar card for "verification." The scammer then sent her fake Supreme Court notices stating that numerous transactions had occurred in her bank accounts.
Fraud executed
Actor transferred funds to the fraudster
The impersonated officer further demanded a deposit of ₹6.5 lakh into a bank account they provided, assuring her that the money would be refunded after verification. Trusting them, the actor transferred the funds. It was only later that she realized she had been duped when her True Caller app revealed the mobile number was associated with a scam. The police registered a case on Thursday based on her complaint filed at the Oshiwara police station on Tuesday.