Techie’s ₹32-crore, 6-month ordeal

A 57-year-old senior IT professional from Indiranagar, Bengaluru, has emerged as Karnataka’s biggest victim yet of the spiralling ‘digital arrest’ racket, losing an astonishing ₹31.83 crore over six months to cybercriminals who controlled every aspect of her life — from her bank accounts to her daily movements.

- Vinay Madhava Gowda

The ordeal began on 15 September 2024, when she received a call from an individual claiming to be from DHL’s Mumbai office. She was told a suspicious package in her name had been intercepted, allegedly containing three credit cards, four passports and MDMA. When she denied any link to the consignment, the caller claimed her identity had likely been misused and abruptly transferred her to someone posing as a CBI officer.