A former Miss India winner fell victim to cyber fraud when scammers posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers put her on ‘digital arrest’ for nearly two hours and she was forced to transfer Rs 99,000 to them.
Shivankita Dixit, a Femina Miss India 2017 winner, who resides in Agra with her family, recently received a call from a person claiming to be a CBI officer.
The caller accused the model of involvement in money laundering and human trafficking and claimed that her HDFC Bank account contained funds linked to serious crimes, including child kidnapping and robbery.
The scammer insisted that she make a WhatsApp video call, during which a man in a police uniform with “Cyber Police Delhi” written on his back appeared. Shivankita Dixit said she was made to speak with four people during the call, including a woman who claimed to be handling her case because she was a woman.
The fraudsters demanded Rs 2.5 lakh, threatening her with arrest if she failed to comply. Under immense pressure, Shivankita Dixit transferred Rs 99,000, the maximum amount allowed by her account limit. They further urged her to borrow additional money from friends or relatives.
Her father, Sanjay Dixit, recalled that Shivankita Dixit had locked herself in her room and was crying while on the call.
“We repeatedly knocked on the door, but she didn’t respond. When she finally opened it, we discovered she had been scammed,” he said.
After realising the fraud, Shivankita Dixit and her family filed a complaint with the cyber police and then filed an online FIR. “We want our money back and strict action against the culprits so that others don’t suffer the same fate,” her father added.
(With inputs from Arvind Sharma)
