Bengaluru: Wife of Chikkaballapura MP Dr K Sudhakar Duped of ₹14 Lakh in Digital Arrest Scam

Bengaluru: The wife of Chikkaballapura MP Dr K Sudhakar was duped of ₹14 lakh in a digital arrest scam. Fraudsters posing as Mumbai cyber police threatened her and forced a transfer before the fraud came to light.

Bengaluru: The number of cybercrimes in Karnataka is rising at an alarming rate. Once limited to targeting the general public, scammers are now going after the families of politicians as well. A few days ago, the bank account of former MP and Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda was hacked, resulting in a loss of ₹3 lakh. Now, Dr Preethi Sudhakar, wife of former Health Minister and Chikkaballapur MP Dr K Sudhakar, has fallen victim to a digital arrest scam and lost ₹14 lakh.

How Was Preethi Sudhakar Digitally Arrested?

Cybercriminals defrauded Dr. Preethi Sudhakar of ₹14 lakh on August 26. At 9:30 AM, she received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the “Mumbai Cyber Department.” The caller alleged that an individual named Sadbhat Khan had used her documents to create a credit card and make illegal money transfers.

The scammer further claimed that Khan had been arrested and, during interrogation, mentioned her name and documents. They threatened that her records were now under investigation and said they would conduct a video call to “verify” her identity.

Threats And Money Transfer

The fraudster insisted that her account was illegal and pressured her to transfer money for “verification.” Out of fear, Dr. Preethi Sudhakar transferred ₹14 lakh through RTGS. The scammer assured her that the amount would be refunded within 45 minutes as per RBI rules.

However, after the transfer, no money was returned, and the fraud became evident.

Police Complaint Filed

Realising she had been duped, Dr Preethi Sudhakar lodged a complaint at the cyber police station. Based on her statement, an FIR has been registered, and the investigation is underway.