Elderly Woman Narrowly Escapes ₹1.2 Crore Cyber Fraud in Prayagraj

Prayagraj: Cyber fraud cases are rising at an alarming pace, with senior citizens increasingly becoming prime targets for online scammers. In a shocking incident in Prayagraj district, an elderly woman narrowly escaped losing her life savings after fraudsters allegedly subjected her to a so-called “digital arrest.” Timely intervention and alertness by bank officials prevented the transfer of a massive sum of money.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when Chanchal Srivastava, a retired schoolteacher, visited the Punjab National Bank (PNB), Civil Lines branch, around 1:30 pm, seeking to transfer ₹1.2 crore to a single bank account. Her request immediately raised suspicion among front-desk staff, who alerted Chief Manager Vipin Kumar.

After speaking with the woman, the bank manager reviewed the transaction details and found several red flags. The beneficiary account was a current account opened in October and held at a Kotak Mahindra Bank branch in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Suspecting a cyber fraud attempt, the chief manager deputed a staff member to verify the account details and simultaneously sought assistance from the cyber crime police.

Bank officials and cyber crime personnel kept the woman at the branch for several hours to prevent any transfer, while further verification was carried out. Later in the evening, the bank manager contacted Srivastava’s son, who lives abroad, and briefed him about the situation. The transfer was ultimately blocked, safeguarding the woman’s savings.

Despite repeated pressure, bank officials refused to process the transaction, thereby preventing the funds from reaching accounts allegedly linked to cyber fraudsters. Their vigilance helped protect money that Srivastava had accumulated over a lifetime of work.

Chanchal Srivastava had deposits totalling approximately ₹1.27 crore across savings accounts, fixed deposits, and senior citizen schemes. Investigators suspect that cyber criminals posed as income tax officials and intimidated her into believing she had been “digitally arrested,” a scam increasingly reported across India.

Although the woman has not yet provided a detailed account of the threats she received, officials confirmed that swift action by the bank staff played a crucial role in averting the fraud.

PNB Zonal General Manager Deepak Singh commended the bank’s officers and employees for their presence of mind. He said both the Reserve Bank of India and PNB have clear guidelines for handling high-value withdrawals and transfers, and strict adherence to these protocols helped save the customer from falling victim to cyber fraud.