How Bengaluru woman lost ₹32cr after receiving fake parcel call
What's the story
A 57-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru was duped of nearly ₹32 crore in a six-month-long "digital arrest" scam. The fraudsters, who posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, kept her under constant video surveillance and coerced her into making 187 bank transfers. The ordeal started in September 2024, when the victim received a call from someone claiming to be from DHL.
Scam details
Scammers impersonate DHL, CBI officials
The caller claimed a parcel booked in her name from Andheri, Mumbai, contained prohibited items, including four passports and three credit cards. When she denied any involvement, the call was transferred to impersonators posing as CBI officers who threatened her with arrest. They warned against approaching local police, saying criminals misusing her identity were monitoring her home. She did what they told her to do since she was worried about her family's safety and her son's upcoming wedding.
Financial coercion
Victim coerced into transferring large sums
The scammers then asked her to install two Skype IDs for continuous video monitoring. A man named Mohit Handa monitored her for two days before another impersonator, Rahul Yadav, took over for a week, and then Pradeep Singh took over. Under constant surveillance and threats of arrest, she was forced to transfer large sums of money. Between September 24 and October 22 last year, she shared her financial details with the fraudsters.
Health impact
Victim's health deteriorates under stress
The victim was also asked to deposit a "surety amount" of ₹2 crore and pay additional amounts as "taxes." She eventually broke fixed deposits and transferred ₹31.83 crore in 187 transactions on the fraudsters' instructions. The constant surveillance took a toll on her mental and physical health, requiring medical treatment for over a month.
Refund delays
Scammers delay promised refunds, communication ceases
The scammers promised to refund the money by February 2025 after "verification." However, they delayed the refunds, and communication abruptly stopped in March. The victim waited until her son's wedding in June before filing a police complaint due to prolonged trauma and recovery. Police have now launched an investigation into this sophisticated scam.