A woman from Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh fell victim to a sophisticated cyber scam, losing Rs 1.43 crore after scammers impersonated Delhi Police to orchestrate a false money-laundering investigation, prompting police to intensify awareness campaigns across the state.
A woman from Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh has alleged that she lost about Rs 1.43 crore after cyber fraudsters impersonating Delhi Police officers trapped her in a fabricated money-laundering probe, while police said a case has been registered and investigators are tracing the money trail.
The complainant, identified as V Alivelu Mangamma of Paraspet in Machilipatnam, said the scam began on June 10 when callers accused her of circulating harassment messages and told her a case had been opened against her in Delhi. According to her account, the fraudsters used WhatsApp and the IMO app, displayed what appeared to be official paperwork and pressed her to believe she was facing arrest in a serious national-security matter. Cyber criminals have increasingly used such “digital arrest” tactics across Andhra Pradesh, with police and banks stepping up awareness drives this year to warn people not to trust unsolicited calls or video chats claiming to come from law-enforcement agencies.
Mangamma said the callers claimed an account linked to her name had surfaced in a money-laundering case involving a public sector bank and told her that she would be produced before the “Chief Justice” within 24 hours. Two people identifying themselves as Rahul Gupta and Nisha Patel allegedly instructed her to disclose her assets and transfer funds for “verification”, promising that the money would be returned within three days if she was cleared. Believing the story, she said she closed fixed deposits and sent Rs 1.05 crore through RTGS, then transferred another sum of nearly Rs 39 lakh after receiving similar documents.
Police said the fraudsters went silent through much of July before calling again on July 29 and demanding more money, warning that her property would be seized if she did not pay another Rs 95 lakh. Mangamma said she began to suspect something was wrong when she was urged to borrow from relatives and mortgage property, after already being told that the money in her accounts was tied to a criminal inquiry. She then alerted her son, who lives in the US, and went to police with help from a voluntary organisation.
District Superintendent of Police Vidya Sagar Naidu said the district force has been running extensive public-awareness campaigns on cyber fraud and digital arrest scams, alongside similar drives elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh this year. In recent months, police in NTR and Hyderabad have also worked with banks, social media figures and public-information campaigns to explain how scammers exploit fear, use fake warrants and demand urgent transfers, with officers urging victims to call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 immediately.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
