Pune woman loses ₹4.82cr in online impersonation scam
A 51-year-old woman from Pune lost ₹4.82 crore after falling for an elaborate online scam, where fraudsters pretended to be courier staff, Mumbai police, and CBI officials.
They convinced her that a parcel in her name with passports and drugs had been seized, accused her of drug trafficking and money laundering, and kept her under "digital arrest" by asking her to remain in front of the phone camera.
How the scam unfolded—and why it matters
The scammers pressured her into making eight bank transfers to fake RBI accounts before she realized it was a con and went to the cybercrime police.
Cases like this are rising fast—digital arrest scams jumped from about 40,000 in 2022 to over 1.2 lakh in recent years (source needed), with Maharashtra recording very high NCRP complaint volumes in recent years (source needed).
With losses soaring past ₹1,900 crore in recent years (source needed), the issue has drawn increased attention.