Hyderabad: A 65-year-old woman from Uppal, Hyderabad, fell victim to a sophisticated cyber scam but was refunded Rs 70,01,788 by the Rachakonda cybercrime police after a two-week ordeal. On December 8, the woman received a WhatsApp call from an individual posing as a Mumbai Crime Branch officer named Mohit Sharma.
The scammer informed her that her SIM card was used for illegal activities, including harassment and spreading obscene content. He claimed her name appeared in 24 complaints linked to a fraudster named Naresh Goyal and provided a fake office address to seem credible.
Using fear and manipulation, the fraudster coerced her into sharing personal details and demanded she transfer `1.58 crore from her savings to avoid legal trouble. He further intimidated her, warning her not to disclose the episode to anyone.
However, on December 23, the woman read a news article about digital arrests and realised she had been scammed. The next day, she approached the LB Nagar cybercrime police, who immediately registered a case and swiftly froze Rs 72 lakh of the transferred funds. Speeding up the process, the cops immediately filed a petition and got the money refunded and returned to the victim.
