A 68-year-old woman fell victim to cyber fraud, losing ₹1.25 crore after being pressured by scammers who falsely accused her of involvement in financial misconduct, as reported by police on Tuesday. The woman, who resides in Goregaon with her husband, reported the incident to the cyber police in November.

According to her complaint, she received a call from an unidentified female caller claiming to be an executive from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The caller threatened to file charges against her for failing to settle her credit card debts and instructed her to connect with the police in Hyderabad.

The woman was then linked to a man who impersonated a police officer, alleging that her credit card had been linked to a ₹500 crore financial fraud in Hyderabad, and that ₹20 lakh had been deposited into her account. This man subsequently passed her call to someone posing as a CBI officer, who video called her and threatened her with arrest.

The fraudsters insisted she maintain secrecy regarding her supposed arrest and instructed her not to inform anyone, including her husband. To avoid arrest, they demanded that she transfer funds into specific bank accounts. Over the course of a month, she deposited approximately ₹1.25 crore as instructed.

The victim eventually realized she had been scammed after reading a news article about digital arrests, prompting her to report the matter to the police, who have since initiated an investigation into the unidentified perpetrators.

In a separate incident, authorities in Lucknow had earlier assisted a victim in recovering ₹19 lakh of the ₹28.7 lakh lost in a cyber fraud scheme promising substantial stock market profits from May to July 2024. The victim had been added to a WhatsApp group that dispensed fraudulent stock market analysis. Scammers, masquerading as representatives of IIFL Securities, convinced him to transfer ₹28.7 lakh between May 17 and July 3, 2024, under the guise of guaranteed high returns.

Officials, including the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have emphasised the importance of vigilance against cyber fraud, digital arrests, and similar scams in light of the increasing frequency of such incidents.

Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa has unveiled a groundbreaking 10-minute ambulance service specifically for residents of Gurugram. Users of the Blinkit app can now conveniently order ambulance services directly to their location within just 10 minutes during emergencies.

In a detailed post on X, Dhindsa emphasised that this initiative is a significant step toward addressing the need for fast and reliable ambulance services in urban areas. The initial launch will feature five ambulances operating in Gurugram, with plans to introduce the option for booking Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances as the service expands to additional regions.

“As we expand the service to more areas, you will start seeing an option to book a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance through the @letsblinkit app,” he said.

All ambulances will be equipped with vital life-saving equipment, including oxygen cylinders, automated external defibrillators (AED), stretchers, monitors, and essential emergency medications. Each vehicle will be staffed by a trained paramedic, an assistant, and a qualified driver to ensure optimal care during emergencies.

“Our ambulances are equipped with essential life-saving equipment, including oxygen cylinders, AED (Automated External Defibrillator), stretcher, monitor, suction machine, and essential emergency medicines and injections,” he said.

Although Dhindsa did not disclose the pricing of this service, he highlighted that generating profit is not the primary objective. “We will operate this service at an affordable cost for customers and invest in really solving this critical problem for the long term. We are carefully scaling this service up as it is important and new to us. Our aim is to expand to all major cities over the next two years,” he stated.

“Profit is not a goal here. We will operate this service at an affordable cost for customers and invest in really solving this critical problem for the long term,” the Blinkit CEO said.

This ambulance service marks Blinkit’s second significant launch within the week. Previously, Dhindsa announced the introduction of an electric vehicle fleet designed to handle large orders, including electronics and party supplies, emphasizing their current availability in Delhi and Gurugram with plans for expansion to other cities soon.

A 30-year-old Indian man, Badal Babu, from Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district, is in judicial custody in Pakistan after illegally crossing the border to meet his Facebook friend, only to be rejected. The woman, identified as 21-year-old Sana Rani, told authorities she has no interest in marrying him.

The arrest took place in Mandi Bahauddin, a district in Pakistan’s Punjab province, roughly 240 kilometers from Lahore. Babu was detained under sections 13 and 14 of Pakistan’s Foreign Act for entering the country without proper documentation.

A Facebook friendship turns sour

According to Punjab police officer Nasir Shah, the duo had been friends on Facebook for over two and a half years. Babu, in love with Rani, decided to cross the border illegally to propose. However, Rani’s statement to the police made it clear she had no intention of marrying him.

Shah added, “Babu crossed into Pakistan illegally and reached Maung village, where he was apprehended. Whether he met Rani in person remains unclear.”

Family under scrutiny

Reports suggest that intelligence officials questioned Rani and her family about her relationship with Babu. Although there is speculation that Rani may have given her statement under duress, this remains unconfirmed.

Legal proceedings begin

Babu, who narrated his “love story” to authorities, was presented in court, which placed him in judicial custody for 14 days. His next hearing is scheduled for January 10.

A familiar tale across borders

Babu’s story echoes previous cross-border romances fostered through social media or online games.

• In a widely publicized case, Indian woman Anju traveled to Pakistan to marry Nasrullah, converting to Islam before tying the knot.
• Similarly, Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman, crossed into India via Nepal to marry her PUBG friend after bringing her four children along.
• Last year, 19-year-old Pakistani girl Iqra Jiwani married Indian national Mulayam Singh Yadav in Nepal after meeting him online.

While these cases highlight the unifying power of social media, they also underscore the legal and personal challenges of navigating cross-border relationships.