Jan 7 – The Cyber Crime Cell of Goa Police has arrested a 53-year-old jeweller from Andhra Pradesh for duping a woman from Marna, Siolim, of Rs 1 crore by impersonating a Delhi Police officer on WhatsApp. The accused, Yaramala Venkateswarlu holds an MSc in Chemistry and runs a jewellery shop in Vijayawada. The victim received a WhatsApp call from the number 917664984274, where the accused falsely claimed that a money laundering complaint had been filed against her. To intimidate her further, he sent forged Supreme Court of India letters and coerced her into transferring Rs 1 crore into fraudulent accounts between December 26 and 28, 2024. He woman was kept under ‘digital arrest’ by the scammer during the period. The accused assured the victim that the money would be kept in “safe custody” until the investigation cleared her of any wrongdoing. Police have managed to freeze Rs 40 lakh of the scammed amount in one of the accounts and also recovered a mobile phone used in the crime. Before transferring money it is always advisable to cross check the bank account holders name and to immediately approach local police station of Cyber Crime Police Station at Ribandar, advised police.
