Bengaluru private firm employee held under ‘digital arrest’ loses ₹5.4 lakh

24-year-old woman extorted ₹5.4 lakh by gang posing as TRAI and Mumbai police, causing emotional and financial distress.

A 24-year-old employee of a private firm from Indiranagar here became the latest victim of a “digital arrest” where a gang posing as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai crime branch officials blackmailed her with a fake case and extorted ₹5.4 lakh which was part of the insurance money she had received after the death of her father.

The accused targeted the victim using Skype and WhatsApp calls, holding her “digitally arrested” for over 24 hours until she shared her bank details.

The gang managed to access her personal data and blackmailed her into performing humiliating acts, including dancing for them via video, while subjecting her to body shaming, said the police.

The amount, which had been part of the insurance settlement intended to help her family recover financially, was transferred online after threatening her with arrest and legal procedure.

The trauma caused by this ordeal has left the victim devastated, with the psychological toll of the abuse compounded by the emotional distress of losing a significant sum meant for her future security, said the police.

In her complaint, the victim said she received a call on Wednesday and the caller introduced himself as an officer with the TRAI. The caller informed her mobile number would get deactivated within two hours as they found other numbers in her name that were being used for illegal activities and a complaint had been filed with the Mumbai crime branch.

Before the victim could recover from the shock, she received a WhatsApp call from a man posing as a Mumbai police officer informing her that her Aadhaar card had been used to take multiple illegal bank accounts that are being used for money laundering and human trafficking.