Lucknow: A retired woman professor residing in Lalbagh was allegedly duped of Rs 3.64 lakh by cyber fraudsters who used the “digital arrest” tactic to psychologically coerce her into transferring money under the threat of legal action and harm to her family.According to police, the incident took place on March 3 when the victim received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller posed as an executive of a courier company and informed her that a parcel had arrived in her name, claiming that “unpaid taxes” were due for its release. When the woman denied ordering any such parcel, the fraudsters threatened her with arrest and warning that her family members could also face legal consequences. The intimidation led the victim to comply with their demands. Initially, she transferred Rs 13,500, followed by another Rs 25,000 within an hour. Over the next 24 hours, the fraudsters extracted Rs 3,64,500. The fraud came to light when the accused demanded further payments, prompting the victim to inform her husband. The family immediately contacted the National Cyber Helpline (1930), following which a complaint was lodged. Hazratganj SHO, Vikram Singh, said they have registered a case and initiated an investigation.
