A shocking cyber fraud case has come to light from Uttar Pradesh, where a woman doctor working at a government hospital in Mathura was psychologically pressured into transferring large sums of money after being threatened with arrest through a fake online legal process.
The victim, Dr. Juhi Varshney, a resident of Bagh Farzana in Agra, received a phone call on December 6 from a woman claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India notification unit. The caller alleged that a mobile number registered in Dr Varshney’s name was used to send objectionable messages in Mumbai and that an FIR had already been filed. She was told to appear before the Mumbai Crime Branch immediately. When she said she could not travel, the call was transferred to another person who introduced himself as sub inspector Pradeep Sawant from the cyber crime cell and claimed her Aadhaar details were under verification. He said a “clearance certificate” could be issued after completing the process.
Soon after, another man joined the call and claimed he had used the SIM card and had been arrested in the Naresh Goyal money laundering case. He warned that Dr Varshney’s arrest was inevitable. The call was later escalated to a man posing as IPS officer George Matthew, who repeated the arrest threat. The next day, another person contacted her on WhatsApp, claiming to be a senior officer, and demanded money to “stop the arrest proceedings”. Taking advantage of the fact that the doctor has a one year old child, the fraudsters suggested she appear before a virtual court instead of being detained.
Under extreme pressure, she first transferred ₹35,000 through UPI, followed by ₹5 lakh from her bank account. When her balance dropped to ₹1,000, she was asked to attend a so called virtual court hearing on December 8. The next day, the fraudsters claimed the hearing could not take place and again threatened arrest. They later said police personnel in plain clothes were near her home and demanded ₹30 lakh to freeze the arrest. Growing suspicious, Dr Varshney approached the police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police West Cyber Crime Aditya Kumar said the investigation, being coordinated from Mathura, has revealed that part of the cheated money was withdrawn from an ATM in Telangana, while the remaining amount was routed through multiple bank accounts. “Several technical leads have been obtained and teams are working to identify and trace the accused,” he said. Police in Mathura have reiterated that there is no concept of digital arrest and advised the public to immediately report such calls without panic.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
