76-Year-Old Woman Loses ₹32 Lakh in Digital Arrest Scam

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Gopichand Padalkar, who had made controversial remarks about Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar during the Covid pandemic, was acquitted by a Baramati court on Tuesday.

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE: A 76-year-old woman from Rahatani was duped of ₹32 lakh by fraudsters in a digital arrest scam.

The incident was reported at the residence of the elderly Jayashree Uapasani in Ganesh Graceland in Rahatani between May 26 and May 28.

According to Rajendra Bhairat, senior inspector, Kalewadi Police Station, Uapasani received a call from an unknown person posing as a law enforcement officer.

The caller falsely claimed that the woman was involved in a criminal case related to money laundering and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest.

The fraudster told her that she could avoid arrest by cooperating with the investigation and following specific "legal" procedures.

Terrified and confused, the woman followed the instructions provided over multiple calls.

The elderly woman was coerced into transferring ₹32 lakh to various bank accounts under the pretext of "verifying" her credentials and "proving her innocence".

After realising she had been scammed, the woman approached the police on Monday, and an FIR was registered.