Bengaluru, Nov 17: A 57-year-old software engineer from Indiranagar, Bengaluru, lost nearly ₹32 crore in an elaborate “digital arrest” scam that stretched over six months, with fraudsters impersonating CBI officials and keeping her under continuous surveillance through Skype. Police have registered a case.
The ordeal began on September 15, 2024, when she received a call from someone claiming to be from DHL Andheri, alleging that a parcel in her name contained passports, credit cards and MDMA. The call was then passed to men posing as CBI officers, who told her that her identity had been misused and that she was under suspicion.
The scammers warned her not to approach the police, claiming that “criminals are watching your house”. Worried for her family and her son’s upcoming wedding, she complied. She was told to install two Skype IDs and remain on video at all times. One impersonator, identifying himself as Mohit Handa, monitored her for two days, followed by another, Rahul Yadav, for a week. A third man, calling himself Pradeep Singh, acted as a senior CBI officer.
According to her complaint, the group appeared to know her movements and phone activity, increasing her fear. They instructed her to submit her financial details for “verification” with the RBI’s Financial Intelligence Unit, sending forged letters to make the process appear official.
Between late September and late October, she shared complete financial information and began transferring money. From October 24 to November 3, she deposited ₹2 crore as a supposed “surety amount”, followed by additional transfers described as “taxes”.
The scammers promised her a clearance letter before her son’s engagement on December 6 — a fake document they eventually provided. The sustained psychological pressure left her unwell, and she required medical treatment for a month.
After December, the group demanded more money as “processing charges” for refunds, repeatedly shifting deadlines from February to March. Communication ended abruptly on March 26, 2025.
She waited until after her son’s wedding in June to file the police complaint.
“In total, through 187 transactions, I stand deprived of approximately ₹31.83 crore,” she wrote, urging authorities to trace and act against the perpetrators.
