Woman Defrauded of ₹34 Lakh in “Digital Arrest” Scam Involving Fake ED Notices

A woman in Noida was scammed out of ₹34 lakh in a sophisticated cybercrime operation involving fake notices from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), officials revealed on Sunday. The scammers allegedly used a “digital arrest” tactic to trick the victim into paying a large sum of money under the threat of legal action.

The victim, identified as Nidhi Paliwal, a resident of Sector-41, was contacted by the fraudsters on the night of August 8. The criminals falsely claimed that a parcel, allegedly sent from Mumbai to Iran in her name, contained five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, 900 US dollars, and 200 grams of narcotics.

According to her complaint, Paliwal received a phone call from the scammers around 10 p.m. that night, followed by a threatening message on WhatsApp. The message warned her of severe legal consequences unless she paid ₹34 lakh. One of the fraudsters even conducted a video call via Skype, though the camera was deliberately turned off, adding an extra layer of intimidation to the scam.

The criminals also sent Paliwal two forged notices purportedly from the Enforcement Directorate, accusing her of being involved in the illegal activity related to the parcel. The fake notices included fabricated charges, further pressuring Paliwal into compliance.

The victim, realizing she was being scammed, immediately reported the matter to the Gautam Buddha Cybercrime Police Station. Inspector Vijay Kumar Gautam confirmed that a case had been registered and an investigation was underway.

Authorities are working to trace the perpetrators and bring them to justice. This incident highlights the growing threat of cybercrimes where criminals use advanced tactics, including fake official documents and digital communication platforms, to extort money from unsuspecting victims.