Lucknow Police Foil Rs 1.5 Crore ‘Digital Arrest’ Cyber Scam, Rescue 75-Year-Old Widow

Last Updated:December 17, 2025, 09:39 IST

Lucknow police foiled a Rs 1.5 crore cyber scam, rescuing a 75-year-old widow from a “digital arrest” while funds were at risk.

Cyber Criminals Target Widow in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam; Police Act Just in Time. (Representative image)

The Vikas Nagar police in Lucknow recently stopped a massive cyber fraud. Acting on an internal tip-off, officers rescued a 75-year-old widow from a “digital arrest" scam and prevented the loss of nearly Rs 1.5 crore of her life savings.

What we know about the case?

The victim, Usha Shukla, had been under extreme mental pressure for four days. Cyber criminals posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contacted her through repeated WhatsApp video calls. They claimed she was linked to a large money laundering and terror funding case involving Delhi and Kashmir.

The fraudsters told her that her late husband’s Aadhaar card and mobile number had been misused in a Rs 50 crore terror funding case. Her husband, a former PWD employee, passed away eight years ago. Fearful and confused, the elderly woman believed the callers were genuine officers.

‘Digital arrest’ tactics

To make their story convincing, the callers showed video visuals of people in uniform sitting in what looked like official offices. They warned her not to leave her house, not to contact family members, and to strictly follow their instructions. This form of control is known as “digital arrest".

She was asked to share Aadhaar details, bank documents and other confidential papers. The fraudsters then instructed her to prematurely break her fixed deposits and transfer the money through RTGS to accounts provided by them.

Police’s timely intervention

Unlike most cyber fraud cases that are reported after money is lost, the police acted before any transfer took place. On December 15, the Vikas Nagar police received information that an elderly woman in the area was under suspicious pressure.

Officers rushed to her home while the fraudsters were still speaking to her on video call. To her shock, real police officers arrived at her doorstep. The police spoke to the callers and quickly realised it was a scam.

Role of alert bank officials

Bank officials also played a key role in stopping the fraud. When the woman visited her Punjab National Bank branch to break a fixed deposit worth Rs 1.21 crore, the staff sensed something was wrong. Due to the large amount, the matter was escalated to the branch manager.

The manager kept her engaged, alerted the police and helped freeze her bank accounts. Other banks were also informed to prevent any unauthorised transfers.

Rs 1.5 crore saved

According to police officials, between December 11 and 15, the fraudsters had already collected several sensitive documents. This raised fears that money from multiple accounts could be siphoned off at any moment.

Thanks to swift coordination between the police, banks and the cyber cell, all accounts were frozen in time. The woman was counselled and informed about the scam. In total, savings worth nearly Rs 1.5 crore were secured.

News india Lucknow Police Foil Rs 1.5 Crore ‘Digital Arrest’ Cyber Scam, Rescue 75-Year-Old Widow

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