That is what cyberfraudsters allegedly told a 79-year-old woman from Sardarnagar while posing as Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers.
Ahmedabad : Imagine being told that the police suspect you of communicating with a terrorist and that one wrong move could land you in jail. Kept under “digital arrest” for almost a week, she transferred nearly Rs 38 lakh to different bank accounts.
The woman received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number on July 2, according to the complaint. The caller allegedly introduced himself as an ATS officer and told her that terrorists had been arrested in Mumbai and Rs 58 crore had been recovered from them.
But the callers allegedly told her that she would have to appear before ATS for verification. He then allegedly claimed that her name had surfaced during the investigation and accused her of communicating with a terrorist. The woman denied having any links with terrorist activities. They also threatened to have her arrested from her home if she refused to cooperate. Soon after, she received a video call from another number. The caller allegedly appeared in a police uniform, with an ATS logo visible in the background, and claimed to be investigating her case.
She became suspicious after making the transfers and told a family member what had happened. Suspecting fraud after the transfers, she informed a family member, who told her that she had fallen victim to a cyber scam. The scam came to light only after she confided the matter to a family member. The relative informed her that she had fallen victim to a cyberscam.
A complaint was first lodged through the cybercrime helpline and later with the cybercrime police on Thursday.
The woman was instructed to remain on the call throughout the so-called investigation.