A 57-year-old woman in Bengaluru fell victim to cyber fraud. Fraudsters posing as DHL, CBI, and RBI officials digitally arrested her and defrauded her of ₹32 crore over six months. The fraudsters intimidated the woman, obtaining details of all her assets and forcing her to submit them. Later, they broke off contact. The victim has filed a police complaint.

A sensational cyber fraud has emerged from Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka and an IT hub. A 57-year-old woman was duped of ₹32 crore (approximately $3.2 billion) in two months through a digital fraud.

The fraudsters allegedly kept the woman under digital arrest for a month by posing as DHL employees, senior officials of the Cyber ​​Crime Department, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Bengaluru: Woman cyber-cheated of Rs 32 crore

According to the FIR, filed on November 14, the entire matter began on September 15, 2024, when the victim received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from DHL. He informed her that a package booked in her name from Andheri contained contraband, including four passports, three credit cards, and MDMA.

Although the woman told him she had not been to Mumbai, the caller insisted her identity had been misused. Therefore, the case is being pursued as a cybercrime.

Fraud by posing as DHL and CBI officers

Before the woman could respond, the call was transferred to another person posing as a CBI officer. He allegedly threatened to arrest the woman. The fraudsters claimed to have strong evidence against her and warned her not to contact local police, saying that criminals who had misused her identity were watching her home. Fearing for her family's safety, the victim took no action.

The scammers then asked him to install two Skype IDs, through which a man named Mohit Handa constantly monitored him with cameras, claiming he was under house arrest.

He allegedly video-monitored her for two days. Then, he asked her to speak to another fake CBI officer, Pradeep Singh, who abused her, threatened her with arrest, and forced her to prove her innocence.

Woman robbed after digital arrest

The victim said the callers had access to her phone and location, which further increased her fear. She was told that the only way to clear her name from the case was to provide details of all her assets to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the RBI for verification. The scammers also showed her a fake Cyber ​​Crime Department identity card in the name of Nitin Patel.

The woman submitted all her bank details between September 24 and October 22, 2024. The fraudsters demanded that she deposit 90 percent of her assets. Under pressure, the woman complied. The fraudsters told her she would later have to deposit ₹2 crore as security and then pay more in taxes.

187 transactions involving Rs 31.83 crore were defrauded.

On December 1, 2024, the woman received a fake withdrawal letter. She then arranged her son's engagement on December 6. She reportedly fell ill for over a month due to prolonged mental stress.

The scammers continued to demand money until early 2025, repeatedly promising that the deposited amount would be returned by February. After several delays, all contact abruptly ended on March 26, 2025. In total, the victim made 187 transactions worth ₹31.83 crore.

The victim told police that she was in shock for a long time and waited until her son's wedding to file a formal report. Police have launched an investigation.

PC:Jagran