Noida Doctor Defrauded of Rs 60 Lakh in Elaborate Cyber Scam

A 40-year-old doctor in Noida was defrauded of approximately Rs 60 lakh over two days by cybercriminals who held her under digital house arrest, officials reported on Thursday. The fraudsters, pretending to be officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), coerced her into transferring the money by threatening her with a fake arrest warrant.

Digital house arrest is a method where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes to scam them. They create fear through audio or video calls, often posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or video technology. In this case, the victim, Dr Pooja Goel from Sector 77, received a call on July 13 from individuals claiming to be TRAI officials.

Cybercrime Tactics and Threats

The callers alleged that another phone number registered in Dr Goel's name had been used to purchase illegal obscene videos. They warned her that if she did not transfer all her funds, an arrest warrant would be issued against her. Assistant Commissioner of Police Cyber Vivek Ranjan Rai shared more details about the case.

"The woman was connected on call to Tilak Nagar Police Station, Mumbai, where she was falsely informed about an FIR and arrest warrant related to the circulation of illegal pornographic videos linked to her name," said ACP Rai. The scammers escalated the situation by implicating her in a money laundering investigation.

The callers instructed Dr Goel to join a video call during which they used various threats, placing her under digital arrest. They threatened potential harm to her and her family, including the abduction of her daughter. Under duress, she transferred Rs 59,54,000 from her bank account to those of the fraudsters between July 15 and July 16.

Police Action and Public Advisory

In her police complaint, Dr Goel mentioned, "The fraudsters also have my Aadhaar card details and photographs which they can misuse. I request police to take action in the matter immediately." An FIR was lodged at the Cyber Crime police station in Sector 36, Noida, on Monday.

The police have charged unidentified suspects under sections 308(2) [extortion], 319(2) [impersonation], 318(4) [cheating] of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, and relevant sections of the IT Act. Earlier this month, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Cyber Crime Police Station issued a detailed advisory to raise public awareness about the increasing threat of cybercrime.

The advisory highlighted several prevalent scams and provided crucial precautions for citizens to avoid falling victim to these fraudulent activities. It warned of a specific scam involving calls received from unknown or international numbers on mobile phones or WhatsApp. In these scams, callers typically impersonate officials from the Customs Department, Narcotics Department, or CBI.

The scammers claim that the recipient's documents were found in a suspicious package containing drugs, documents, clothing, an Aadhaar card, and a SIM card. The police urged citizens to immediately report cyber offences at 112 or 1930.

This incident underscores the need for heightened vigilance against cyber fraud. The authorities continue their efforts to educate the public and prevent such crimes from occurring in the future.