A woman doctor in Noida has fallen victim to a ‘digital arrest’ scam, losing ₹59 lakh after being duped by scamsters posing as officials from the Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
On July 13, a caller posing as a TRAI representative called Dr. Puja Goyal, a resident of Noida Sector 77. The caller claimed that pornographic movies were being shared on her phone. Despite Dr. Goyal’s denial, the caller convinced her to join a video call, during which she was threatened with severe consequences and told she was under ‘digital arrest.’
For 48 hours, Dr. Goyal was subjected to intense questioning and ultimately transferred ₹59,54,000 into a specified account. Upon realizing she had been scammed, she filed a complaint with the cyber crime cell in Noida Sector 36 on July 22.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Vivek Ranjan Rai stated that they have identified the account details where the money was transferred and are verifying the information to take appropriate action.
The ‘digital arrest’ tactic is becoming increasingly common in Delhi NCR. Scamsters often confine their victims to their homes, posing as law enforcement officers and using fake IDs to bolster their claims. In a similar incident, a 72-year-old woman from Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park was duped out of ₹83 lakh under the pretext that her phone was involved in criminal activities.
In response to the rising number of such scams, Noida police have issued an advisory warning residents to be cautious of suspicious calls, particularly those received via WhatsApp or video call. The advisory recommends verifying the caller’s credentials through official channels and immediately reporting any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or cyber cell.
Dr. Goyal’s case is one of around ten similar incidents reported in recent months, all of which have led to registered FIRs and ongoing investigations.
Police emphasize the importance of skepticism towards calls requesting personal or financial information, especially those involving threats of legal action.
The advisory encourages citizens to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of any such communications to protect themselves from falling prey to these sophisticated scams.
