Lucknow: An 80-year-old doctor in Lucknow was allegedly duped of ₹1.55 crore in a digital arrest scam after cybercriminals posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials threatened her with legal action over an alleged terror link.
According to Lucknow Cyber Crime Police, Dr Jiya Sultana, a resident of Hazratganj and wife of the late Dr Sajid Raza, was allegedly told that her Aadhaar details had been misused for illegal and terrorist activities. The fraudsters then allegedly kept her under “digital arrest” and pressured her into transferring money.
The ₹1.55 crore was initially transferred to four bank accounts in Kerala, Karnataka, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Maharashtra. Investigators found that the funds were later routed through an IndusInd Bank account in Gurugram before being distributed across nearly 300 accounts.
Police said the money was subsequently linked to payout settlements involving a fake gaming app or website, creating multiple layers of transactions that made the trail difficult to follow.
Following coordination with banks and other agencies, the cyber crime team managed to freeze several accounts linked to the fraud. Police said ₹43.14 lakh has so far been recovered and returned to the doctor, while the remaining funds identified in various accounts have been frozen.
Additional DCP (Crime) Kiran Yadav said sustained efforts were underway to trace the remaining money and identify and arrest those involved in the operation. Investigators are also examining the network of accounts allegedly used to move the stolen funds across four states.
A case has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4), 319(2) and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act. The investigation is ongoing.
