A retired government official from Faridabad was duped of Rs 40 lakh by fraudsters posing as TRAI and Mumbai Police officials, who placed her under 'digital arrest' for 18 days. According to the police on Sunday, the victim, Monika, who retired from her post as Labour Welfare Commissioner with the Central Ministry, lives with her 90-year-old mother in Faridabad, while her daughter resides in Delhi, police added.

“On November 11 last year, she received a call on her mobile from an unknown number and was held hostage for the next 18 days,” police said.

According to the victim's complaint, the caller introduced himself as a representative of the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) and informed her that an account had been opened in Canara Bank, Mumbai, using her Aadhar card and phone number. The caller also mentioned a large transaction made from that account involving the CEO of a private aviation company.

The victim denied opening any account in Mumbai, to which the caller replied that a huge transaction had been made from the account. The caller then transferred the call to another individual, who introduced himself as a Mumbai Police officer. During a video call, the alleged officer showed documents related to a loan from the bank account and sent her an arrest warrant via WhatsApp.

The fraudster, claiming to cooperate with the investigation, insisted on house arrest and kept WhatsApp voice calls active day and night, instructing the victim not to tell anyone about the situation or she would be arrested, police said

During this period, the accused transferred Rs 40 lakh from her account, promising to return the money after the investigation was complete, police said. On the 18th day, when the accused stopped responding during a video call, Monika realised she had been duped. Due to fear I did not complain to anyone for about 15 days but finally now moved to police", she said in her complaint.

A senior police officer said that an FIR has been registered and an investigation is underway.