‘Digital arrest’: ‘CBI sleuths’ con Bengaluru MNC honcho of Rs 32cr in 6 months; harassed her even in hospital | Bengaluru News

BENGALURU: A senior executive, 57, at an MNC lost Rs 31.8 crore to a digital arrest scam after months of relentless coercion by a cybercrime syndicate. The gang monitored her over video calls — even during hospitalisation — and threatened that any misstep would lead to her arrest and put her family at risk.Her ordeal began on Sept 15, 2024. She received a call from a man claiming to be from DHL Logistics in Andheri, Mumbai. He alleged that a parcel in her name contained three credit cards, four passports, and MDMA. Shocked, she replied that she lived in Bengaluru and had never been to Mumbai, making it impossible for her to have booked the parcel.The caller insisted that her personal documents, mobile number, and address were used in the booking and advised her to report the issue to the cybercrime cell. Before she could react, the call was transferred to another line where callers posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials. “It was a horrifying experience. They said it didn’t matter if I was there or not. Since my identity was used, I’m responsible, and all evidence was against me,” she stated in her police complaint.2-day Skype surveillanceThe fraudsters instructed her not to contact local police or lawyers, claiming this would put her security at risk because dangerous criminals who had misused her identity were supposedly monitoring her home. They warned her not to share anything with her family, saying that would imply her family was also involved.Fearing for her son’s upcoming wedding, she agreed to comply. She was told to communicate only through the Skype IDs provided by the gang. A man identifying himself as Mohit Handa claimed to be a CID officer. He ordered her to keep her camera switched on at all times as she was under “house arrest”. For two days, he monitored her continuously.Later, she was passed on to another fraudster impersonating CBI officer Pradeep Singh. He allegedly shouted at her and pretended to arrest Handa for taking a bribe — part of a staged drama to convince her the investigation was genuine. Another caller, named Rahul Yadav, monitored her movements for a week while she worked from home.Access to call detailsOn Sept 23, 2024, Singh contacted her via video call and directed her to move to a hotel. The callers seemed to know every incoming call she received and her location. They told her that the way to prove her innocence was by verifying her assets with the RBI’s Financial Intelligence Unit. They displayed what looked like official letters from the RBI’s cybercrime department and demanded a list of her assets.The crooks also appeared to have access to her tax filings, which led her to believe them. They told her that 90% of her funds had to be deposited as a “surety” to clear her name. The letter she received was signed by a person posing as cybercrime official Nitin Patel.Between Sept 24 and Oct 22, 2024, she shared complete details of her finances. She was then instructed to transfer Rs 2 crore initially. Between Oct 24 and Nov 3, she made the transfers. She was told she would receive the clearance letter by Dec 1, which was important for her as her son’s engagement was scheduled on Dec 6.Through daily threats and monitoring of her devices, the pressure continued. When she was asked to pay another Rs 2.4 crore as tax, she complied. A clearance letter arrived on Dec 1, 2024, and the engagement took place as planned. Soon after, she fell ill and required hospitalisation. She was still compelled to report daily updates over Skype. Singh assured her the money would be returned by Feb 25, 2025. But instead, more “processing charges” were demanded.After March 26, the crooks vanished. “I was in shock, it took months for me to recover. My son got married in June 2025, and I waited for it to be over. Through 187 transactions, I stand deprived of approximately Rs 31.8 crore,” said her complaint.