Bengaluru Woman Recovers 14 Lakhs She Lost In Digital Arrest. Cops Acted Within 'Golden Hour'

In a rare case, a 44-year-old woman from Bengaluru has recovered the full amount she lost in a digital arrest scam with the help of the police.

On August 26, Preeti Kom Sree Sudhakar, a resident of Basaveshwaranagar in the Karnataka capital, received a WhatsApp call from fraudsters posing as Mumbai Cyber Crime Police. Claiming her bank account was linked to illegal transactions, they threatened to arrest her unless she transferred money to an account for "verification." Terrified, she transferred Rs 14 lakh from her HDFC account to an unknown Yes Bank account.

The victim then approached the Cybercrime, Economic Offences, and Narcotic (CEN) police station, West Division in Bengaluru, and a case was registered.

Within the 'Golden Hour,' the police froze the funds by coordinating with the National Cyber Helpline (1930). On September 3, following a court order, Yes Bank was directed to return the frozen amount. The entire Rs 14 lakh was credited back to the victim's account in just one week. 'Golden hour' refers to the critical time after a scammer has initiated a fraudulent transaction, but before the money has been fully moved or withdrawn from the account amount was transferred to.

What is Digital Arrest

'Digital arrest' is a modus operandi in which cyber fraudsters monitor a victim through channels like Skype and video calls while pressuring them into transferring huge sums of money to be let off in non-existent cases.

Police have stressed in several advisories that there is nothing called 'digital arrest' or 'virtual arrest', but the rise in such incidents shows that the message has not reached a large section. The preferred targets of such fraud are senior citizens who are not very savvy with technology and often panic in such situations. The scamsters then draw them deep into the trap and rob them of their life's savings.

Police have urged citizens to immediately call the 1930 helpline and report to the nearest police station if they fall prey to cyber fraud, stressing that quick reporting is crucial to prevent monetary losses.