Mohali: Retd sports teacher dodges ₹2-crore ‘digital arrest’ fraud
The victim, a resident of Phase 2, Mohali, who is also the mother of a slain Army Colonel, told police that she received multiple WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers over several days
A vigilant 80-year-old retired sports teacher escaped a ₹2-crore “digital arrest” fraud by scammers, who posed as senior police officers and even a Supreme Court judge.
The victim, a resident of Phase 2, Mohali, who is also the mother of a slain Army Colonel, told police that she received multiple WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers over several days.
“I usually don’t answer unknown calls, but they kept calling repeatedly. When I finally picked up, a man introduced himself as an IPS officer from Delhi and accused me of circulating vulgar content,” the elderly woman told police.
When she disconnected, the scammers called again, claiming that a case of money laundering had been registered against her. “They said they had evidence and that I was being placed under home arrest since I was old. They even threatened to freeze my family’s bank accounts,” she said.
“Two of them claimed to be police officers, while another said he was a Supreme Court judge. They told me they were acting under the Supreme Court’s direction,” she recalled.
The scammers then demanded she transfer money to prove the “flow of her funds”. When she refused, they asked her to break her fixed deposit (FD). “That’s when I realised something was wrong, the Supreme Court would never ask anyone to break their FD,” she said.
She swiftly visited her bank, where the manager confirmed her suspicion and alerted the Mohali police. Her timely decision and the manager’s intervention helped prevent a potential ₹2-crore fraud.
SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said, “There is no such thing as a digital arrest. People should remain alert and immediately report suspicious calls or threats. No legitimate agency will ever ask for money or personal banking details over a call.”
Police have registered a case under Sections 318 and 319 of BNS and the IT Act, and are tracing the accused. Officials have also urged citizens, especially senior citizens, to remain cautious of such online scams that prey on fear and confusion.
