This incident is deeply disturbing and highlights the alarming sophistication and cruelty of cyber-enabled crimes. Here's a clearer breakdown of what happened:
On July 17, 2025, two women in Bengaluru were the targets of a horrifying scam perpetrated by individuals pretending to be Mumbai Police officers from Colaba Police Station. The scammers:
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Accused one woman of being involved in serious criminal activities like a Jet Airways scam, human trafficking, money laundering, and even murder.
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Used her accurate Aadhaar details and a forged arrest warrant to lend credibility to their threats.
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Coerced both women into transferring ₹58,477 from their HDFC Bank account, under the false claim that it was required for verification as per RBI and CBI guidelines.
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Then escalated their abuse by forcing the women to strip on a WhatsApp video call, under the pretext of a "medical examination" to check for bullet wounds and tattoos.
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Kept the victims under constant video surveillance for nearly nine hours, threatening them and claiming they were under digital and home arrest.
The situation only came to light when one victim managed to contact a friend, who helped uncover the scam.
Following the incident:
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The women reported the crime to Banaswadi Police Station and also filed a formal cybercrime complaint at the CEN Crime Branch in Shivajinagar.
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They handed over key evidence, including:
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The phone numbers used by the fraudsters.
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A UPI transaction trail to a recipient named Abhishek SP, made via PhonePe.
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The victims have urged authorities to:
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Take swift action to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
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Ensure the deletion of any illicit videos or photos that may have been captured.
Police have begun investigating, but the case underscores urgent concerns around:
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The misuse of personal identity information like Aadhaar.
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The vulnerability of individuals to psychological manipulation via impersonation.
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The need for stronger public awareness, digital safety protocols, and faster cybercrime response mechanisms.
