A retired woman in Karnataka allegedly lost her life’s savings of Rs 3.9 crore over seven months to scammers who had convinced her that she was under ‘digital arrest’ for allegedly sending drugs through the postal service, the police said Sunday.
The Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police have registered a case in this connection. Officers said the woman, who is in her sixties, and her husband had worked in a foreign country before returning to settle in Mangaluru a few years ago. “Her husband died last year, and she was living alone as they did not have children,” an officer associated with the investigation said.
According to officers, the victim was first contacted by the fraudsters on January 15 this year when she returned a missed call from an unknown number. A woman claiming to be a General Post Office employee allegedly informed the retiree that a parcel containing 150 grams of the drug MDMA – supposedly sent by her to China – had been intercepted and returned.
The caller warned the woman that the offence carried a jail sentence of “75 years or above”, creating immediate panic, the police said. When the victim denied sending any parcel, the fraudster claimed that someone had used her identity card to send the package illegally.
Officers said the scammers used psychological manipulation techniques, positioning themselves as people who were willing to help the victim while maintaining constant contact with her. They warned the retiree against discussing the matter with anyone and convinced her that paying 93 per cent of her pension would secure a “no-objection certificate” to clear her name.
On January 17, the victim transferred Rs 55 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Officers said this continued till July 4, with the transferred amount adding up to Rs 3.9 crore.
The fraud came to light only when the scammers eventually stopped responding to the woman’s calls. Realising that she had been conned, the victim filed a complaint with the police.
Story continues below this ad
“The victim had not informed other family members, including her brother, about the call. Had she spoken with anyone, she would not have fallen prey to the scam,” a police officer said.