In a shocking case of cyber fraud, two non-resident Indian (NRI) sisters, Suman Kakkar and Vinay Thapliyal, were duped of nearly Rs1.9 crore while visiting India. The incident occurred in Lucknow, where the victims, both Canadian citizens, were intimidated by fraudsters posing as Mumbai Crime Branch officials.
The scammers allegedly carried out a “digital arrest” of the sisters, threatening to implicate them in a money laundering case. They claimed that the sisters’ bank accounts were linked to terrorist transactions and demanded that the victims transfer a hefty sum to avoid being sentenced to life imprisonment.
On their visit to India, Suman and Vinay received a video call from individuals impersonating Mumbai Crime Branch officers. The callers falsely accused the sisters of being involved in serious criminal activities, including money laundering and terrorism. The fraudsters pressured them into transferring funds, claiming it was the only way to avoid being arrested and facing life imprisonment.
Under immense fear and duress, the victims transferred Rs1.9 crore. However, they were only able to recover Rs25 lakh out of the total amount, as the rest of the funds were quickly moved across multiple bank accounts in four different states.
A case was promptly registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Lucknow, and the police managed to freeze a portion of the transferred amount. Investigators are continuing to trace the remaining funds and identify the culprits behind this elaborate scam.
The digital arrest scam has been increasingly prevalent in recent months, with several high-profile victims. One notable case involved Shivankita Dixit, the winner of Femina Miss India 2017, who was also scammed by fraudsters impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. Shivankita was coerced into transferring ₹99,000 under the threat of being arrested for money laundering and human trafficking, although the fraudsters initially demanded Rs2.5 lakh.