At the age of 84, when life usually runs on the basis of peace and trust, an elderly retired government official and his wife lived in fear, panic and helplessness for two days. In the name of law and court, such a trap was created in which they could not understand that the person sitting in front of them was not a judge but a swindler. This ‘digital arrest’ imprisoned him inside the house.
It all started with a WhatsApp call on December 8. The caller introduced himself as a court official and said that the old man’s name had come up in a money laundering case. There was sternness in his voice, hearing which the elderly couple got extremely scared. He was told that he would have to appear in the court online and till then he could neither leave the house nor talk to anyone.
What was said in the video call?
Within a short time, he was connected to a video call, in which a court-like atmosphere was shown. Judge, lawyer and staff were visible on the screen. Questions were asked, allegations were made…it was said that hundreds of bank accounts were opened in his name. The couple kept saying again and again that they had done no such thing, but with every answer the fear grew deeper. They were told that if they did not cooperate, the consequences would be very bad.
After this he was told that he was ‘arrested’. The elderly officer was told to remain sitting in front of the phone and not to go anywhere. His wife was told to arrange the money herself. The swindlers explained that all this was for investigation and the money would be returned after ‘verification’. Caught between fear and trust, the woman reached the bank and transferred Rs 21 lakh on the first day. Next day again Rs 21 lakh. Both of them continued to think that they were following the law.
But the biggest fear came when the thugs’ eyes fell on the account in which Rs 1.50 crore, received after the recent sale of property, was deposited. The women got scared and hesitated, but the threats from the thugs became more intense. They were shown the threat of heavy punishment. Then this frightened woman reached the bank with the intention of transferring the entire amount.
How did the bank manager become suspicious?
This is where humanity and common sense saved them. The bank manager became suspicious due to the condition of the elderly woman and the repeated calls she was receiving. He tried to avoid the matter and informed a police officer present there. Police officers reached the woman’s house with her. There he saw that the elderly man was still sitting on the video call, fear was clearly visible on his face. As soon as the police officer introduced himself, the call was disconnected and the truth came out.
At that moment the couple realized that those whom they had trusted considering them to be law, were swindlers. There were mixed feelings of tears, relief and regret. Rs 42 lakh was gone, but his lifetime capital of Rs 1.50 crore was saved. The police explained to them, consoled them and got them to lodge a complaint through the cyber crime helpline.
