Maharashtra News: A shocking incident of cybercrime has emerged in Mumbai, where a 26-year-old woman was duped of ₹1.7 lakh and forced to strip during a video call by fraudsters posing as police officers. The victim, a Borivali East resident employed in a pharmaceutical company, reported the scam to the authorities on November 28.Fraudulent Threats of Digital ArrestThe ordeal began on November 19, when the woman received a call from individuals claiming to be officers from Delhi Police. Citing an alleged money laundering investigation involving Naresh Goyal, the jailed founder of Jet Airways, they accused her of being implicated in the case. Threatening her with arrest, the scammers insisted she was under a digital arrest, a fabricated term designed to intimidate victims.Hotel Stay and Financial DupingThe fraudsters escalated their demands during a video call, instructing the victim to book a hotel room for further interrogation. Once checked in, they manipulated her into transferring ₹1,78,000, supposedly to verify her bank account details. In an outrageous move, they coerced her to strip on camera under the pretext of a body verification process. Only after complying with their instructions did she realize she had been deceived.Following the harrowing incident, the woman lodged a complaint with the police, prompting an investigation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit and the Information Technology Act. Authorities have highlighted the rising trend of such scams, where fraudsters exploit technology to intimidate and extort victims.Digital Arrest: A Dangerous ScamThe concept of a digital arrest is entirely fictitious, used by cybercriminals to isolate and control their targets. Victims are told they cannot inform anyone about their predicament and must remain connected to the fraudsters via video or audio calls until financial transactions are completed. This strategy has successfully duped several individuals, including senior citizens and now younger adults.Prior Scams Using Naresh Goyals NameThis is not the first instance of scammers leveraging Naresh Goyals name to deceive victims. Earlier, the chairman of the Vardhman Group, Shri Paul Oswal, was conned out of ₹7 crore through a similar scheme involving threats of digital arrest.
