Hyderabad: A teacher lost Rs 7 lakh after being placed under digital arrest in Hyderabad. The cyber fraudsters posed as officials from CBI and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The incident occurred on September 28. The 56-year-old teacher, who is a resident of Ameerpet, was threatened with arrest in a money laundering case. The teacher was forced to stay on the video call for 24 hours.

The victim was also sent a letter in the name of the Chief Justice of India. The incident occurred when the teacher received a call via the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS), and the caller identified herself as Priya Sharma, an employee of TRAI.

The fraudster claimed that the teacher’s Aadhar Card is being used to for illegal SIM Card purchase in Mumbai. The call was then transferred to another fraudster who identified himself as CBI officer Vijay Khanna.

The fraudster accused the teacher of being involved in money laundering. In her complaint, the teacher told the Hyderabad cybercrime unit that she was forced to stay on the video call for 12 hours and was instructed to keep the camera on throughout the night.

The fraudsters sent an arrest order and a letter from the Enforcement Directorate regarding the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). On September 29, the teacher was forced to transfer Rs 7 lakh to bank accounts specified by the fraudsters.

The fraudsters assured the victim that the money would be refunded after verification. The complainant further told the police that she received a fake letter in the name of the Chief Justice of India. She was also asked to submit details of her assets for verification by the ED.

The cybercrime police registered a case under section 66(D) of the IT Act and initiated an investigation.