Bengaluru women scammed, forced to strip during ‘digital arrest’ by fraudsters posing as Mumbai cops
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Bengaluru women scammed, forced to strip during ‘digital arrest’ by fraudsters posing as Mumbai cops")
Representative picture Photograph: (Pexels)
The women were coerced into stripping on a WhatsApp video call on the false pretext of a “medical examination” to check for bullet wounds and tattoos by the fraudsters who kept them under constant video surveillance for nearly nine hours, while issuing threats.
In yet another case of ‘digital arrest’, two women in Bengaluru were harassed, blackmailed, forced to strip on camera, and transfer money by fraudsters posing as officers of Mumbai Police. The women said the incident took place on July 17, 2025.
The complainant, a 46-year-old Bengaluru woman, said she and her childhood friend, an international instructor based in Thailand who is currently visiting India, were scammed by individuals claiming to be officials from the Colaba Police Station in Mumbai.
On July 17, at around 11 am, her friend received a call from the fraudsters, who alleged that she was involved in a ‘Jet Airways scam’ and then further accused her of involvement in money laundering, trafficking, and even murder.
Armed with her accurate Aadhaar and bank card details, the callers showed a fake arrest warrant and then threatened and coerced them into complying with humiliating and illegal demands.
They were first told to transfer Rs 58,477 from an HDFC Bank account under the pretext of verification “as per RBI and CBI guidelines.” Then they were coerced into stripping on a WhatsApp video call on the false pretext of a “medical examination” to check for bullet wounds and tattoos.
Holding the women under “digital and home arrest,” the fraudsters kept the women under constant video surveillance for nearly nine hours, while issuing threats.
At around 8 pm, the instructor couldn’t sustain the harassment and reached out to a friend via WhatsApp call. The friend immediately advised them to disconnect all calls and refuse further money transfers.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
When the accused failed to re-establish contact with the women, they sent their photos and videos to them, threatening to make them public.
The women then approached Banaswadi Police Station and filed a cybercrime complaint at the Cyber and Economic Offences (CEN) Crime Branch in Shivajinagar.
They provided authorities with the phone numbers used by the fraudsters and details of a UPI transaction made to a person identified as Abhishek SP via PhonePe. Police have started investigations in the case.
