Bengaluru Engineer Loses Rs 31.83 Crore in Cyber Scam

A 57-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru's Indiranagar neighborhood lost approximately 31.83 crore rupees in a sophisticated cyber fraud scheme that spanned nearly six months, from September 2024 to March 2025, authorities reported. The victim, who had accumulated the funds over years in the IT sector, was coerced into making 187 bank transfers after fraudsters impersonated officials from the courier service DHL and the Central Bureau of Investigation, placing her under a fabricated "digital arrest" through constant video surveillance.

The scam began on September 15, 2024, when the woman received a call from an unknown number. The caller, posing as a DHL representative, claimed a parcel addressed to her had arrived at the company's Andheri center in Mumbai and contained three credit cards, four passports, and prohibited MDMA drugs. She denied any involvement, stating she had not traveled to Mumbai and lived in Bengaluru. Before she could end the call, it was transferred to another individual who identified himself as a CBI officer. He alleged her identity had been misused in a cybercrime and warned that evidence pointed to her involvement, advising her not to contact...