Bengaluru Woman Loses ₹24 Crore in Karnataka’s Biggest ‘Digital Arrest’ Cyber Fraud Case
Bengaluru, May 25: Despite repeated awareness campaigns by police, cyber fraud cases continue to rise across Karnataka, with Bengaluru now witnessing what is being described as one of the state’s biggest “digital arrest” scams involving nearly ₹24 crore.
Cyber criminals posing as CBI officials allegedly duped a 74-year-old retired teacher into transferring her life savings after keeping her under “digital arrest” for several months through continuous threats and video calls.
The victim, identified as Lakshmi Ramamurthy, had earlier worked as a teacher in Dubai and was planning to settle in the United States with her children after selling her high-value properties in Bengaluru.
According to investigators, the cyber fraudsters contacted the elderly woman through video calls and falsely claimed that her bank accounts were linked to illegal money transfers and money laundering activities.
Pretending to be CBI officials, the accused allegedly threatened her and instructed her not to speak to anyone until the so-called “investigation” was completed.
Police said the woman remained psychologically trapped under fear for months and gradually transferred around ₹24 crore through RTGS transactions into 22 different bank accounts allegedly operated by the cyber criminals.
The fraud reportedly continued from January to May 2026.
Investigators said the accused were not satisfied even after receiving ₹24 crore and allegedly continued pressuring the woman for more money.
The scam came to light when Lakshmi Ramamurthy visited an ICICI Bank branch in Bengaluru Cantonment area to pledge more than one kilogram of gold jewellery.
Suspicious over the unusually large quantity of gold and the woman’s behaviour, the bank manager alerted police officials.
CCB officers rushed to the spot and, during questioning, uncovered the massive cyber fraud operation.
Police teams later conducted searches in Delhi and Allahabad and arrested five accused persons, including Gaurav Kumar and Om Prakash, in connection with the case.
So far, police have managed to freeze nearly ₹3 crore from the fraud amount, while further investigation into the organised cyber crime network is continuing.
Officials said the case reflects the rapidly growing threat of highly organised cyber frauds targeting vulnerable citizens through fake law enforcement intimidation tactics.
Police also warned that investment frauds, fake job scams and online trading frauds are increasing sharply across Karnataka.
Fraudsters are allegedly creating fake companies, websites and investment platforms and circulating messages through WhatsApp, Telegram and social media platforms promising high returns and easy income opportunities.
Initially, victims are shown small profits to gain confidence, after which the fraudsters convince them to invest larger sums before disappearing with the money.
According to Karnataka Police data, one out of every three cyber fraud cases registered in the state is now related to investment scams.
By the end of April 2026, around 4,040 cyber fraud cases had been registered in Karnataka, out of which 1,324 cases were linked to investment scams. Among them, 956 cases were related to stock market trading frauds, while several others involved fake part-time job offers and task-based earning schemes.
Senior police officials stated that cyber fraud cases involving fake investments and job offers have grown dramatically over the last three years. While only around 30 such cases were reported in 2023, the number rose sharply to 1,821 cases in 2024 and further increased to 6,153 cases in 2025.
Officials said cyber fraudsters have become increasingly sophisticated and organised, exploiting people’s financial aspirations, trust and digital dependency following the post-COVID online boom.
Employees working in IT-BT sectors and private companies are reportedly among the major targets of such scams.
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