Fraudsters Con Noida Woman Of ₹43.7 Lakh By Falsely Linking Her To Pahalgam Attack News24 –

A 76-year-old woman was put under digital arrest for 26 days and lost 43.7 lakh in Noida, Sector 41 police said adding the fraudsters linked the woman with “Pahalgam attack” following which she was in pressure. The 76-year-old victim is a resident of Noida, Sector 41, police said, adding she had retired from a private corporate office.

The victim stated in her complaint that she received a call from an unidentified mobile number on her landline on July 18, and the caller introduced herself as a customer executive from telecom co.

The victim was informed that one of her mobile numbers was registered in her name in Mumbai, Byculla, and the number was being used for illegal activities such as gambling and blackmailing, police said, as quoted by HT.

“She told me that she is connecting me to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, who will explain and from whom I shall need to obtain a Clearance Certificate,” reads the FIR.

Later the woman received a video call and posed as a police officer. “There is an arrest warrant in my name because there are four bank accounts in Mumbai in my name, which are being used in Hawala, drug trafficking, online gambling, including funding to terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack from these accounts,” the victim stated.

Police said the woman was asked to give her financial details to avoid arrest. “On the pretext of a security deposit and promising to return the money after investigation, the cybercriminals forced her to transfer all of her savings. In eight transactions through RTGS, the woman was duped of ₹43.70 lakh,” said Cyber Crime Branch Station House Officer Ranjeet Singh as quoted by HT.

Police said when the woman approached an advocate in the neighbourhood, she realised that she was duped.

Police said the suspects were continuously pressurising the woman to send ₹15 lakh more. A case under Section 318(4) (cheating), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 308(2) (extortion) of the BNS and the IT Act has been registered, and further investigation is underway.