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At one stage, she was coerced into arranging ₹15 lakh, with the caller warning she would otherwise be arrested.
The woman paid the money in small installments. (AI generated)
A 76-year-old woman from Noida was targeted by scamsters and duped of Rs 43 lakh. The fraudsters told her that her phone number was used in funding terror activities, including the Pahalgam attack, where 26 people lost their lives, reported NDTV.
The elderly woman, Sarla Devi, a resident of Sector 41, Noida, mentioned that she was contacted by a man impersonating a police officer, who claimed that her personal details had been misused to open several bank accounts in Mumbai.
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According to the NDTV report, the caller mentioned that the accounts were allegedly linked to terror financing, gambling, and hawala operations. He further told her that her mobile number itself had been flagged as a channel for funding terror activities, including the April 21 Pahalgam attack.
The fraudster told Sarla Devi that an arrest warrant had been issued against her and demanded that she deposit money as a “security amount,” assuring her it would be refunded once the investigation was over.
Over the next few weeks, between July 20 and August 13, the 70-year-old was sent QR codes and instructed to transfer money to different bank accounts. In all, she made eight payments amounting to ₹43.70 lakh.
The smallest transfer was ₹70,000, while the largest touched ₹11 lakh. Investigators later found the money had been routed to accounts under the names of Varinder Pal Singh, Madan Kumar, Manju General Store, and Ashapura Tea Stall.
At one stage, she was coerced into arranging ₹15 lakh, with the caller warning she would otherwise be arrested. Growing suspicious, she sought legal advice and discovered she had fallen prey to a cyber scam. She immediately stopped further payments and lodged a police complaint.
Police said the woman has been left deeply shaken by the fraud and has pleaded for her money to be recovered and the culprits brought to justice. The Noida Police cybercrime unit has filed a case and is scrutinising the financial trail to identify those involved.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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