Rayagada, Dec 19: A woman doctor posted in Rayagada district has fallen victim to a cybercrime involving a “digital arrest,” a source said.

According to the source, the victim, Dr Mamata Choudhury, who serves as the Additional District Public Health Officer in the Office of CDM & PHO (Rayagada), lodged a complaint at the Rayagada police station.

Police said Dr Choudhury received a phone call a few days ago from an unidentified person claiming to be calling from Korea. The caller alleged that a suspicious bag linked to her Aadhaar card had been detected and that serious charges had been registered in her name. The call was later transferred to a person posing as a police officer.

The fraudsters allegedly instructed her not to leave her house until the “investigation” was completed and warned that she would be arrested if she stepped outside. Police said the cyber fraud group later siphoned off Rs 12 lakh from her.

According to the complaint, Dr Choudhury was kept under what the fraudsters described as “digital arrest” since December 9. She approached the Rayagada police on December 12 to report the incident.

Rayagada police said an investigation is underway based on the complaint. No response has been received from any other quarter in connection with the case.

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"Digital arrest" cases in India involve scammers impersonating law enforcement to extort money, with reported incidents skyrocketing, nearly tripling from 2022 to 2024, reaching over 92,000 cases in 2024 alone, leading to significant financial losses, with victims losing billions of rupees to organized cybercrime syndicates operating internationally, highlighting a severe, growing threat requiring constant vigilance and reporting to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at www.cybercrime.gov.in or by calling 1930