Bengaluru Woman Loses Rs 2 Crore in Digital Arrest Scam: Sells 2 Plots, 1 Flat and Takes Bank Loan

A Bengaluru woman spent more than four months believing she was under constant police surveillance, following strict instructions not to step out or speak to anyone.

By the time she learnt the truth, her savings were gone, her properties sold, and over Rs 2 crore had reached cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials.

How a fake courier call trapped her

Police said the victim, who lives in New Thippasandra with her 10-year-old son, was first contacted on June 19 by a caller claiming to be from a courier service. She was told that a shipment linked to her Aadhaar number had been seized and allegedly contained drugs and illegal baggage.

Within hours, the call escalated. Individuals posing as Mumbai police officers contacted her and warned that criminal proceedings were being initiated. She was told arrest was imminent unless she cooperated fully with the investigation.

To reinforce the illusion of official control, the callers asked her to install specific mobile applications and repeatedly instructed her to remain inside her home and keep the matter secret, police said.

Emotional pressure and threats involving her child

Investigators said the scammers deliberately personalised the threats after gathering information about her family.

A police officer said, "While collecting primary details, they found out that she has a 10-year-old son and used it as a tool to instil fear that even he would be arrested and jailed."

The fear of legal action against herself and her child kept the woman compliant for months. From June 19 until November 27, she transferred money whenever instructed, believing the payments were part of a legal process to clear her name.

Assets liquidated to meet repeated demands

As the demands continued, the woman began arranging large sums of money. According to the FIR, she sold her apartment in Vignan Nagar at a significantly reduced price. She also sold two plots in Malur below market value. When those funds ran out, she approached a bank and took a loan to continue making payments.

In total, she carried out 22 financial transactions, transferring Rs 2,05,16,652. The highest amount sent in a single transaction was Rs 70 lakh.

The scam unravelled only when the callers instructed her to physically visit a police station to obtain a clearance document. "After extorting the money, the cybercriminals asked her to visit the police station to get a 'no-objection certificate', and she walked into the Whitefield police station to find out that cybercriminals had conned her," a police officer said.

An FIR was registered at the Whitefield CEN police station on November 27 under sections 66(c) and 66(d) of the Information Technology Act and sections 319(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is underway.

Bigger picture of cyber fraud in Karnataka

Police say the case highlights a worrying trend in the state. Karnataka has reported cybercrime losses of Rs 5,473.97 crore across 57,733 cases in the last three years, while recovering only 11.5 per cent of the stolen money.

On average, the state has been losing Rs 6.05 crore per day to cybercrime, with daily recoveries hovering around Rs 60 lakh. Recovery rates have also declined sharply. In 2023, victims had a one-in-five chance of getting back some money. By 2025, that figure has dropped to about one in 16.

Explaining the shift in tactics, an officer said, "The nature of cybercrimes has evolved. While cryptocurrency-related fraud has decreased, job scams and matrimonial fraud continue to persist. In the past, the financial losses were relatively smaller, and the duration of the crimes was shorter. However, with the rise of digital scams and stock trading frauds, criminals are now taking much longer, sometimes hours or even days, to deceive their victims."