Hyderabad: A 56-year-old private tutor from Ameerpet was allegedly duped of ₹7 lakh after cyber fraudsters posing as officials of the CBI and TRAI placed her under a so-called “digital arrest,” keeping her on a continuous video call for nearly 24 hours and threatening her with a money-laundering case.
The ordeal began on September 28, when the victim received an IVRS call from a woman identifying herself as “Priya Sharma” from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). She claimed the victim’s Aadhaar card had been misused in the purchase of a SIM card linked to illegal activities in Mumbai.
The call was then transferred to another impersonator posing as a CBI officer, Vijay Khanna, who accused her of involvement in money laundering. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., she was forced to remain on a video call, and was ordered to keep her camera on through the night.
To convince her, the fraudsters sent forged documents, including an arrest order under the PMLA and even a fake letter in the name of Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramakrishna, demanding disclosure of her assets over WhatsApp. The victim was told her money would be refunded after “verification” and was warned not to speak to anyone, under threat of a three-year jail term.
On September 29, she transferred ₹7 lakh to a designated bank account. The fraud came to light only when a family acquaintance visited her home and realised she was being coerced, after which she approached the police.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act.
