Pune: A retired employee (74) of Baramati Panchayat Samiti became the latest victim of a ‘digital arrest’ fraud as crooks put her in fear of arrest for allegedly transferring funds to terror organisations and made her transfer Rs45.6 lakh to different bank accounts between Feb 14 and 27. The woman on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Baramati City police. An officer from the Pune Rural police said the woman on Feb 14 received a call from an unknown cellphone number. The caller told her that a case was registered against her with the Nashik police for providing funds to terror organisations. The caller, who posed as a police officer, assured the woman that he would help her avoid arrest. “The man took details of her bank balance, fixed deposits, gold jewellery and other properties. He told the woman to transfer her money to a bank account number provided to her,” the officer said.He said two days later, a crook in a police uniform contacted the woman through a video call and threatened to arrest her. The crooks constantly called her and told her to transfer money. She was also assured that she would get her money back after verification. “Believing them, the woman first transferred Rs 34.6 lakh to a bank account provided to her,” he said.The officer said the woman also withdrew her fixed deposit and transferred Rs11 lakh more to another bank account. Thereafter, the crooks stopped calling her. The woman realised that she was duped when they did not respond to her calls. She then approached the police and lodged a complaint. “We have sought details of the transactions from the complainant’s bank,” the officer said.
