Woman Duped of Rs 34 Lakh in Fake ED Notice Scam in Noida

A Noida woman fell victim to a cybercrime scam, losing Rs 34 lakh after being threatened with fake notices purportedly from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), officials revealed on Sunday.

The scam involved “digital arrest” tactics, where fraudsters claimed a parcel in her name, allegedly sent from Mumbai to Iran, contained five passports, two debit cards, two laptops, $900 in cash, and 200 grams of narcotics.

According to the complaint lodged by Nidhi Paliwal, a resident of Sector-41, the ordeal began on August 8 with a late-night phone call from the scammers. They later sent her fabricated documents via WhatsApp, including two notices from the ED that leveled serious allegations against her.

The fraudsters demanded Rs 34 lakh to resolve the fabricated accusations. They also conducted a Skype video call, though the video remained switched off, heightening the intimidation.

Inspector Vijay Kumar Gautam, in charge of the Gautam Buddha Cyber Crime Police Station, confirmed the registration of a case and an ongoing investigation. “The accused used highly deceptive tactics, including forged ED notices, to extort money from the victim,” he said.

Authorities are actively probing the incident, urging residents to remain cautious of such scams.