In her FIR, Teacher reported receiving WhatsApp calls from two unfamiliar numbers, which informed her that a bank account had been opened in her name in Delhi, and that money was being deposited into it.
In what is believed to be the city’s first instance of ‘digital arrest,’ a 59-year-old teacher was permitted to carry out her daily activities, including attending school and running errands, for 22 days while she was being scammed, according to police. During this time, no one realized the senior teacher was facing such a difficult situation.
Before turning to the police for assistance, Pramila Maansingh, who works at a private school, fell victim to fraudsters posing as CBI officers, losing ₹78 lakh between March 1 and 22, as reported by Lucknow cyber police.
In response, the police have frozen a bank account containing ₹38.80 lakh that belonged to the scammers.
“Pramila Maansingh, who lives in Indira Nagar, was convinced by the crooks that one of her bank accounts was being used for illegal activity, and a probe had been initiated against her,” said Brijesh Yadav, the SHO of Cyber Police Station here. He added that an FIR had been registered under relevant BNS sections and Section 66D of the IT Act, 2008.
The police reported that the teacher, who resides alone, faced harassment and threats from the criminals if she did not comply with their demands. In her FIR, Teacher mentioned that she initially received WhatsApp calls from two unfamiliar numbers, which informed her that a bank account had been opened in her name in Delhi, and that laundered money was being deposited into it.
“When she told them she didn’t own that account and hadn’t even gone to Delhi, the thugs insisted that she transfer some money to them for the investigation,” police said.
The men assured her that they would refund the money after the investigation concluded.
Brijesh Kumar Yadav, the head of the cybercrime police station in Vibhuti Khand, stated that digital arrests are not recognized by law. He explained that scammers often compel victims to remain on live video calls via Skype and similar platforms until their demands are satisfied. These fraudsters typically impersonate police officers or representatives from law enforcement agencies to gain the victims’ trust, he noted.
In a statement, the CBI mentioned that some criminals are misusing the publicly accessible CBI logo.
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