Udupi: A woman allegedly fell victim to a digital arrest scam and lost Rs 4.1 lakh. In a complaint, Linette Mendonsa, 52, said while she was home at 1.30pm on Thursday, she received a video call on WhatsApp. The caller told her that a case was filed against her, that her number would be blocked if she did not heed his instructions. The caller went on to accuse her of being involved in rowdy activities, claiming that the money earned through such activities was in her bank account. He warned her that if she wanted to safeguard her money, she must immediately transfer it to the account number he would provide.The caller sent her a PDF file, spoke in both Hindi and English, and appeared to be dressed in a police uniform. He instructed her not to disconnect the video call and not to inform anyone.Believing him to be a genuine police officer and worried about losing her money, the complainant went to the bank and transferred Rs 4.1 lakh from her account to the account specified by the caller. However, the money was never returned. Based on her complaint, Shirva police registered a case under sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act.
