Mangaluru: A 72-year-old retired woman in Mangaluru has been defrauded of over ₹3.09 crore in what police describe as a highly organised “digital arrest” cyber scam.

According to the complaint filed at the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police station, the victim, Leni Prabhu, received a missed call from an unknown number on January 15. When she returned the call, a woman claiming to be from the General Post Office told her that a parcel allegedly sent in her name to China had been seized, containing 150 grams of the banned drug MDMA.

The caller reportedly warned that the offence carried a prison term of up to 75 years and claimed that the parcel had been booked using her identity documents. The victim was allegedly persuaded to share personal details and was told that a “no-objection certificate” could clear her name — but only if she remitted 93% of her pension.

Acting under fear and pressure, she transferred ₹55 lakh initially, followed by several more payments over nearly six months, totalling ₹3,09,75,000. The money was sent via RTGS to bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.

The scam was exposed when the callers stopped responding to her messages. Police confirmed that the suspects employed the “digital arrest” method, using fabricated legal threats to extort funds.

A case has been registered, and investigations are underway to track the culprits and recover the stolen amount. Police have cautioned the public against responding to such unsolicited calls.