HYDERABAD: Three elderly persons lost a combined `1.89 crore after fraudsters allegedly posed as law enforcement officials and placed them under ‘digital arrest’ in separate incidents.
A 74-year-old retired employee told Malkajgiri cybercrime police that she received a call on July 21 from a person claiming to be from the Data Protection Board of India. The caller told her that a SIM card had been obtained using her Aadhaar and used for illegal activities. He also linked her to a money laundering case. The fraudsters later asked her to transfer her savings for verification. Under pressure, she transferred `88.8 lakh in 25 transactions.
In another case, a 67-year-old retired employee from Sainikpuri was told that a SIM card issued using his Aadhaar had been used for illegal activities. He transferred `68.8 lakh between August 6 and 12.
A 73-year-old pastor from Kondapur was similarly accused of harassing women and being involved in money laundering. He transferred Rs 31.61 lakh in total.
