KOCHI: A 56-year-old woman from Perumbavoor allegedly lost Rs 1.72 crore after an unidentified person impersonating an Indian Consulate official placed her under a “digital arrest” and induced her to transfer the money to a cryptocurrency wallet, according to the FIR.
The Ernakulam Rural Cyber Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the fraud.
According to the FIR, the accused allegedly claimed that a transaction worth Rs 9 crore had been made through her son’s account and told her that, to avoid arrest, the money in their possession had to be checked and returned after being verified as legitimate funds.
The accused allegedly kept the victim under digital surveillance from July 8 to August 3. During this period, he allegedly opened a Bitcoin wallet on the cryptocurrency application Strike. The accused then allegedly transferred US dollars held by the victim in other bank accounts to another account and subsequently moved the money to the Strike cryptocurrency wallet.
The funds were then allegedly used to purchase Bitcoin, which the accused claimed was being transferred to an investigation agency.
The Cyber Police are examining the cryptocurrency transactions and wallet details mentioned in the FIR as part of the investigation.