KOLKATA: A 23-year-old woman from north Kolkata allegedly lost ₹1.2 lakh after fraudsters posing as Kolkata Police officials threatened her with arrest over a fabricated case involving explicit content, police said.
The incident came to light after the woman, a resident of Jorabagan, approached the police following a series of threatening calls that began on September 27.
According to her complaint, the caller introduced himself as an officer attached to the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar. He allegedly told her that her mobile number had been linked to explicit adult content uploaded on illicit websites and warned that a criminal case was being initiated against her.
The scammers allegedly continued contacting her over the next two days, creating a sense of panic by claiming that arrest warrants could be issued unless she complied with their instructions. They reportedly used different legal pretexts to convince her that she needed to make multiple payments to avoid formal arrest.
Under pressure and fearing legal action, the woman transferred money in several transactions to bank accounts provided by the callers. The total amount transferred was around ₹1.2 lakh.
The fraud was uncovered after she spoke to her relatives and realised that she had been targeted by cybercriminals. She subsequently filed a complaint with Jorabagan police on October 4.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act and have launched an investigation to identify those behind the calls and trace the money.
The case is another example of how fraudsters exploit fear of police action and legal consequences to manipulate victims into transferring money. In digital arrest scams, callers commonly impersonate police officers, investigating agencies or other government officials and threaten victims with arrest unless they follow instructions or make payments.
