Bengaluru: A woman in Bengaluru has alleged that she lost Rs 32 crore after being held under “digital arrest” for nearly six months by cyber fraudsters. The crooks even issued her a “clearance certificate” after cleaning her out.
The criminals posed as CBI officers and held her under constant Skype surveillance, she claimed.
The “digital arrest” began on September 15, 2024 and ended in March 2025, causing tremendous mental strain to the 57-year-old woman who has now registered a case against the fraudsters.
According to the complainant, a software professional from Indiranagar, it all started with a call from a person claiming to be from DHL Andheri. The man alleged that a parcel booked in her name contained credit cards, passports, and MDMA (a drug), and said her identity had been misused.
Before she could respond, the call was transferred to people posing as CBI officers, who threatened her and claimed “all evidence is against you”.
The crooks warned her against contacting the police, saying criminals were watching her home. Fearing for her family and her son’s upcoming wedding, she did their bidding.
The woman was then instructed to install two Skype IDs and remain on video. A man identifying himself as Mohit Handa monitored her for two days, followed by Rahul Yadav, who watched her for a week.
Another man, claiming to be Pradeep Singh, posed as a senior CBI officer and pressured her to prove her innocence.
“All this time, I had to report over Skype where I am and what I am doing. This person, Pradeep Singh, was in touch daily. I was told that money will be returned by February 25 after completion of all procedures,” she said, as reported by PTI.
She further said that the group appeared to know her phone activity and location, heightening her fear. They told her to verify all her assets with the “Financial Intelligence Unit” of the RBI and even produced forged letters to make it appear official.
From 24 September to 22 October, Umarani shared details of her finances and transferred large sums. Between 24 October and 3 November, she deposited a supposed surety amount of Rs two crore, followed by further payments for “taxes”. She was promised a “clearance letter” before her son’s engagement on December 6, and received a fake one.
She finally received the “clearance letter” on December 1, allowing the engagement to proceed. But she fell seriously ill after that, requiring a month of medical treatment to recover.
The scamsters did not stop at that. Post December, they demanded processing charges, repeatedly delaying refunds to February, then March. All communication ceased on March 26, 2025.
The complainant waited until after her son’s wedding in June to come forward and lodge a complaint. “In total, through 187 transactions. I stand deprived of a total amount of approximately Rs 31.83 crores, which were deposited by me,” she said.
