Retired Teacher in Prayagraj Narrowly Escapes ₹2-Crore Cyber Fraud After Three Days of “Digital Arrest”
Prayagraj: A 65-year-old retired schoolteacher from Prayagraj narrowly escaped a massive cyber fraud worth nearly ₹2 crore after alert bank officials and cybercrime police intervened just in time.
The woman, who lives alone in the Civil Lines area, had allegedly been kept under what fraudsters call a “digital arrest” for three days, during which she was threatened with arrest on fabricated charges of money laundering.
According to the cybercrime police, the ordeal began on December 26 when the woman received a call claiming that crores of rupees had been routed through a fake bank account linked to her Aadhaar number.
The callers, posing as officials of the Enforcement Directorate and invoking the authority of the Supreme Court, accused her of involvement in money laundering. They warned her of immediate arrest if she failed to cooperate.
Over the next three days, the fraudsters maintained constant contact, intimidating her and restricting her movements — a tactic increasingly referred to as “digital arrest”.
Terrified and confused, the retired teacher was instructed to transfer all her savings to “verify” her innocence.
On Tuesday, she arrived at the Civil Lines branch of Punjab National Bank, seeking to prematurely break fixed deposits worth ₹1.20 crore and transfer the amount to another account.
She had also submitted an RTGS request to transfer ₹80 lakh from her account at Canara Bank.
Bank officials grew suspicious after noticing her visible anxiety, urgency for an immediate transfer, and repeated incoming phone calls while she was at the branch.
Initially, she cited a property purchase as the reason for the withdrawal, but her reluctance to explain further raised red flags.
Branch Manager Vipin Kumar promptly alerted the cybercrime police.
A team led by ACP Rajkumar Meena reached the bank and began counselling the woman. The police also contacted her son over the phone and gathered information from neighbours.
Upon verification, it was found that the account to which the money was to be transferred had been opened only on October 25 — a classic marker of mule accounts used in cyber fraud.
Following the intervention, the woman’s account was immediately frozen to prevent any unauthorised withdrawal.
“The fraudsters attempted to siphon off nearly ₹2 crore by instilling fear of money laundering charges.
Thanks to the vigilance of bank staff and timely police action, the crime was averted,” ACP Meena said, adding that further legal action is underway based on the complaint.
Later, Ashok Chandra, Managing Director and CEO of Punjab National Bank, personally commended the branch staff for their alertness.
Senior officials, including the regional and zonal heads, also praised the team for preventing what could have been one of the biggest cyber fraud cases involving a senior citizen in the city.
A Growing Pattern of Cyber Traps
This is not an isolated incident. In recent months, Prayagraj has witnessed several attempts where senior citizens were targeted using similar scripts involving fake CBI, ED, or court orders.
Earlier this year, a retired engineer in the city was duped of ₹45 lakh after being coerced into transferring funds during a video call.
Across major cities like Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, cybercrime units have reported a sharp rise in “digital arrest” scams.
In several cases, victims were isolated for days, instructed not to speak to family members, and coerced into liquidating life savings.
Cybercrime officials have once again urged citizens to remember that no law enforcement agency conducts investigations or arrests over phone or video calls, and no court or government body asks individuals to transfer money for “verification”.
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