A 62-year-old woman from Delhi fell victim to a massive digital scam and lost Rs 77 lakh after trying to buy sleeping pills online. Neeru, a retired school teacher from Vasant Kunj, had been searching online in August 2024 for her regular prescription medication, used to treat a neurological condition. After placing the order, she received a call from someone claiming to be an officer from the Narcotics Control Bureau.
The caller accused her of purchasing illegal drugs and claimed she was under investigation for drug supply in Delhi. The man gave her two choices — transfer money to verify her bank account or face arrest. Out of fear, woman transferred Rs 3 lakh across multiple accounts.
Ten days later, woman was contacted by another man who claimed to be a “good cop” from the same department. He assured her of her innocence and promised to help recover the money. Within two days, woman received Rs 20,000 in her bank account, which helped the caller gain her trust.
Woman later received a WhatsApp video call from four men, including the good cop. They asked her to share her phone screen and open her net banking app, claiming it was needed to refund the remaining amount. Trusting them, she followed the instructions and unknowingly gave them access to her account.
Soon after, she received multiple debit alerts for transactions between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. When she tried to contact the good cop, his phone was switched off.
On September 24, 2024, woman filed a complaint with the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations Unit of Delhi Police’s Special Cell. After nine months of investigation, police arrested five men involved in the fraud.
The first accused, Akhilesh, was arrested on June 24, 2025, from Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi. He confessed during interrogation and named his accomplices Amjad, Shahid, and Shakeel. Amjad, who played the good cop, and Shahid were arrested on June 27 from Punhana in Haryana. On July 1, police arrested Hamid and Shakeel from Deeg in Rajasthan, despite resistance from local villagers.
So far, only Rs 3 lakh has been recovered. Police are examining several bank accounts used in the scam and found evidence of sextortion of other victims on the accused’s mobile phones.
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