Rayagada district reported a shocking case of cybercrime as a woman doctor fell victim to a “digital arrest” scam and lost more than Rs 12 lakh.
Authorities identified the victim as Dr Mamata Choudhury, Additional District Public Health Officer at the office of the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer, Rayagada.
Recently, Dr Choudhury received a phone call from a person who claimed to be from a courier office. The caller alleged that a suspicious bag linked to her Aadhaar card had arrived and that serious charges were registered in her name. Immediately afterwards, the call was transferred to someone impersonating a police officer.
The fraudster threatened Dr Choudhury with arrest if she failed to cooperate and instructed her not to leave her house until “verification” was completed. Moreover, he warned that non-cooperation would lead to severe consequences. Under pressure, Dr Choudhury followed the instructions and, within two days, lost more than Rs 12 lakh to the scam.
Following her complaint, Rayagada police registered a case and handed it over to the cyber cell for investigation. In addition, Rayagada IIC Prasanna Kumar Behera confirmed that the case had been filed. However, when contacted over the phone, Dr Choudhury did not provide further details.
Consequently, police intensified their probe into the incident. Furthermore, officials emphasised that awareness against digital arrest scams is crucial, as fraudsters increasingly exploit fear and impersonation tactics to trap victims.
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