An 88-year-old woman was digitally held for ten days by scammers (Representative image)
The incident came to light after her elder daughter received an email notification from a bank regarding the Rs 27 lakh RTGS transaction made on Sept 2. Based on the inquiry, an FIR was registered under Sections 318(4), 319, 340 and 61(2) of BNS.
Police said an inquiry was conducted by Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police . The woman’s son-in-law, who lives in Gurgaon, subsequently visited her residence that evening. It was then that the family became aware of the alleged fraud. The sections relate to cheating, impersonation, offences involving forged documents or electronic records, and criminal conspiracy.
The woman, who lives alone as her children reside elsewhere, got a call around 5.30 pm on Aug 24. The woman continued following their instructions until Sept 2, when the fraud was eventually discovered by her family.
The caller allegedly told her that a money laundering case had been registered in connection with her bank accounts. The fraudsters reportedly showed her images purportedly depicting conversations involving several people, including a senior judicial official, and told her that they would help her get out of the alleged legal trouble and protect her family from any action. The suspects allegedly instructed her to delete WhatsApp messages containing details of the bank accounts and transactions. They also warned her against informing anyone else about the matter.