Mangaluru police swiftly recover Rs 17 lakh lost in digital arrest scam

Mangaluru police swiftly recover Rs 17 lakh lost in digital arrest scam

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 31, 2025: In a swift and efficient operation, Mangaluru City Police recovered and returned ₹17 lakh to a senior citizen who had fallen victim to a “digital arrest” scam.

At a symbolic handover ceremony held at the Police Commissioner’s office, DCPs Mithun and Ravishankar returned the recovered amount to the victim.

Briefing reporters about the case, DCP Mithun said that on October 23, a 79-year-old woman from Bejai received a WhatsApp call from a person posing as a police officer. The caller falsely claimed that an arrest warrant had been issued against her and threatened her with immediate arrest.

The fraudster then instructed her to deposit her money for “verification” and warned her not to disclose the matter to anyone. The terrified woman was kept under “digital arrest” for nearly five hours through the WhatsApp call. During this time, she visited her bank branch and transferred ₹17 lakh from her savings account to the fraudster’s account around 3 p.m.

Later that evening, around 6 p.m., she informed a woman neighbour about the incident, who immediately accompanied her to the Cyber Crime Police Station to file a complaint. Acting swiftly, the station officer contacted the 1930 cyber helpline and instructed the bank to block the transaction. The officer also confirmed the balance with the bank manager.

The next day (Oct 24), the police submitted a request to the court to release the blocked amount. After the weekend holidays, on October 27, the court issued an order to return the funds to the victim’s account, which was promptly carried out.

DCP Mithun said the quick response from the victim enabled the police to act fast and prevent the scammers from withdrawing the money. In many similar cases, victims delay reporting due to fear or embarrassment, making recovery difficult, he added.

This year alone, cybercriminals have defrauded citizens of ₹8 crore across eight cases in Mangaluru city limits, of which ₹35.98 lakh has been recovered so far. Elderly citizens are the primary targets in “digital arrest” scams.

He urged people not to panic if they receive WhatsApp or online calls claiming to be from the police or government agencies demanding money transfers. “No law enforcement agency, court, CBI, or ED conducts any such ‘digital arrest’ procedure,” he clarified.

He also warned about rising “digital investment scams,” where fake trading or share market platforms lure investors without RBI or SEBI approval. Police are spreading awareness through public campaigns and educational institutions, DCP Mithun added.