Machilipatnam Woman Duped of ₹1.43 Crore in 'Digital Arrest' Cyber Scam

A woman from Machilipatnam in Krishna district lost more than ₹1.43 crore in a sophisticated 'digital arrest' cyber fraud, after scammers posing as Delhi Police officials falsely accused her of involvement in a money laundering case and threatened her with arrest. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

According to Krishna District SP Vidyasagar Naidu, the victim, V. Aliveelu Mangamma, received a phone call on June 10 from fraudsters claiming to be Delhi Police officers. They alleged that obscene messages were being circulated in her name and that a criminal case had been registered against her in Delhi. The callers further claimed that a bank account had been opened in her name at a public sector bank and used for money laundering, adding that another accused named Goyal had already been arrested.

To make the fraud appear genuine, the scammers claimed that a non-bailable arrest warrant had been issued against her and that she had to appear before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) within 24 hours. Two individuals identifying themselves as Rahul Gupta and Nisha Patel claimed to be investigating officers and instructed her to disclose details of her assets and bank accounts. They promised that the money would be returned within three days after a so-called forensic verification if she was found innocent.

Believing the claims, Mangamma cancelled her fixed deposits at a bank in Machilipatnam and transferred ₹1.05 crore through RTGS to an account specified by the fraudsters. They also sent notarised-looking documents via WhatsApp to gain her confidence. A few days later, they convinced her to transfer another ₹39 lakh, taking the total amount lost to over ₹1.43 crore.

The fraudsters stopped contacting her during most of July, but called again on July 29, claiming she had not transferred all her assets and demanding an additional ₹95 lakh. They allegedly threatened to seize her properties if she failed to comply. Nisha Patel further pressured her to mortgage her house, pledge her gold and silver ornaments, or borrow money from relatives and friends. She was asked to pay ₹20 lakh immediately, ₹22 lakh within two days, and the remaining ₹53 lakh before the end of the month.

Mangamma became suspicious when the fraudsters, who had initially claimed only her bank deposits were linked to money laundering, later insisted that she raise money through loans. She informed her son living in the United States, who advised her to approach the police with the help of a voluntary organisation.

The victim told investigators that the scammers communicated through WhatsApp and the IMO application, where one profile appeared as "ED Surveillance Room" with the name "Rahul Gupta." They never revealed their faces during video calls. Her husband, V. Vempati Gopalakrishna, a retired Superintending Engineer in the Panchayat Raj Department, was also persuaded to install the IMO app and speak with the fraudsters. The family was allegedly threatened that their son in the US would be harmed if they disclosed the matter to anyone, forcing them to remain silent for several weeks.

SP Vidyasagar Naidu said a case was registered two days ago under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology (IT) Act, and other relevant laws. He said 'digital arrest' scams are becoming increasingly common and warned that legitimate law enforcement agencies never conduct arrests through video calls or ask people to transfer money during investigations. He urged the public, particularly senior citizens, to remain vigilant and immediately report such incidents to the police.