Shocking scam: Mother-daughter duo digitally arrested, threatened with ‘human organ trafficking’ and robbed of ₹36 lakh

Noida (The Uttam Hindu): In Noida, cyber criminals used the tactic of "digital arrest" to scam a mother and daughter out of ₹36 lakh. The criminals used threats of human organ trafficking and money laundering to execute the scam. The police have registered an FIR and are actively searching for the accused.

The mother and daughter, residing in Sector 77 of Noida, fell victim to a major cybercrime. The scammers threatened to implicate them in human organ trafficking and money laundering using their Aadhaar cards and a SIM card registered in their names. Fearing the consequences, they were kept in a state of digital arrest for four days, during which they were coerced into transferring ₹36.58 lakh to the criminals. Upon receiving the complaint, the police took immediate action and froze approximately ₹2 lakh.

The victim, who had recently completed her MBA and was looking for a job, received a call on November 27 from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be an officer from TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), informed her that her Aadhaar card and her mother’s were used to obtain a SIM card involved in criminal activities like human organ trafficking and money laundering.

Fearful, the mother and daughter were then connected to a person claiming to be from the Mumbai Police via Skype. The caller sent them an arrest warrant and threatened imprisonment if they did not cooperate. In panic, the mother and daughter transferred ₹36 lakh into the accounts provided by the scammers. After transferring the money, the criminals pressured them to break their fixed deposits and mortgage their house. When the victims refused, the scammers continued the digital arrest for four more days before cutting contact.

Upon receiving the complaint, the Cyber Crime police took swift action and froze ₹2 lakh of the stolen amount. This incident is believed to be the first case in Noida where scammers used the digital arrest tactic to defraud both a mother and daughter together. Cybercriminals are exploiting fear and greed to easily scam people.