Bengaluru, Nov 18 Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Tuesday said the government would take firm action in the online fraud case involving the “digital arrest” of a 57-year-old Bengaluru tech professional who lost Rs 31.83 crore.
He confirmed that it is the largest online financial scam reported in Karnataka to date, adding that the people behind the digital arrest would not be spared.
Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said that the fraud took place over more than a year, involving about 187 transactions from the victim’s account. “She could have approached the police at any stage, and had she done so earlier, she would not have lost such a large amount,” he said.
He said the state had not witnessed a digital arrest case of this scale earlier. “We are treating the case with full seriousness and will trace those responsible,” he said.
“If she realised the fraud only after transferring money amounting to crores, it shows how deeply she was affected by the scam. Now that the case has come to light, we have taken it seriously. This is the highest-ever online fraud reported from our state. This is the first time such a large-scale digital arrest case has been reported and such a huge amount siphoned off,” Parameshwara said.
The Karnataka Home Minister also referred to a separate case in which people based in Karnataka had virtually detained individuals in the United States, pointing out that the method was not new to local investigators.
The incident came to light on Monday, when it was reported that a 57-year-old Bengaluru tech professional had lost Rs 31.83 crore to cybercriminals after being held in a digital arrest for more than six months.
Following a complaint at Bengaluru’s East Cyber Crime Police Station, the police launched a hunt to trace the gang.
The victim transferred Rs 31.83 crore in 187 transactions, exhausting nearly all her savings and deposits except her fixed deposits. The accused repeatedly assured her that the money would be returned by February after verification but kept delaying the deadline with one excuse after another.
Growing suspicious, the victim lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police on November 14. In the complaint, she stated that due to her son’s marriage ceremony, she could not approach the police early.
According to the police, the cybercriminals kept the victim under digital arrest for more than six months and severed contact after extorting the amount.
Her ordeal began on September 15, 2024, when she received a call from someone claiming to represent a reputed courier company, who told her that a package in her name -- containing three credit cards, four passports, and banned MDMA -- had been received at a courier centre in Andheri, Mumbai.
The victim told the caller that she lived in Bengaluru and had no knowledge of the package. He then warned her that, since the parcel was linked to her mobile number, it could involve cyber fraud and she needed to file a complaint. Before she could respond, her call was transferred to another person claiming to be an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The accused prevented her from contacting the police or seeking legal help by convincing her that cybercriminals were monitoring her every move. They later issued direct threats, warning that if she revealed anything, her entire family would be implicated.
With her son’s wedding approaching, she yielded to the pressure and followed their instructions. The accused then contacted her via Skype, identifying himself as Pradeep Singh, and informed her that another associate, Rahul Yadav, would monitor her for a week. During this period, she was confined to her home, while the accused worked remotely from her residence.
On September 23 last year, the accused instructed the victim to declare her properties to the Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). After she disclosed her assets and cash, they extorted money from her in stages and even provided a forged clearance certificate.
The police said that the investigation is underway.
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