Bengaluru — In yet another case highlighting the rising menace of “digital arrest” scams, dentist Dr Preethi, wife of Rajya Sabha MP Dr K Sudhakar, was duped of ₹14 lakh by cybercriminals posing as Mumbai cyber police officers. Thanks to her quick reporting and prompt police intervention, the entire amount was recovered within a week.
The Scam: False Allegations and Threats of Arrest
On August 26, Dr Preethi received a call from 8942014859. The caller claimed to be a police officer from the Mumbai Cyber Crime Department and alleged that her identity documents had been misused by one Sadbat Khan to obtain a credit card used in illegal cross-border activities in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
The fraudster further claimed that Khan had already been arrested and threatened to implicate Preethi in the case. To reinforce credibility, they sent her a photo purporting to be Khan’s arrest image.
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Manipulation Through “Digital Arrest”
When Preethi denied any involvement, she was told to speak to “senior officials.” The criminals then connected her via WhatsApp video calls from two numbers, instructing her that she was under “digital arrest” and must not disclose details of the call to anyone, including her family.
On the pretext of a virtual investigation, they obtained her personal details and documents. Claiming compliance with RBI guidelines, they convinced her to transfer ₹14 lakh via RTGS for “verification,” promising the money would be returned within 45 minutes.
Realization and Swift Police Action
Sensing something amiss before further damage could be done, Preethi approached the police. The case was registered under the Information Technology Act and sections 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The police immediately froze the transferred funds. On September 3, the court directed the bank to release the frozen money back into Preethi’s account.
Police Advisory: Report Within the “Golden Hour”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S Girish confirmed that prompt reporting was key to recovering the money.
“Victims of cyber fraud should not panic or waste time. Report immediately to the National Cyber Helpline 1930 within the ‘golden hour’ and lodge a complaint at the nearest police station,” he said.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant against digital arrest scams, which often use official-sounding threats, spoofed caller IDs, and fake video calls to extract money.
