There is a tragic incident in Agra, where 58-year-old government school teacher Malti Verma died of cardiac arrest. She had been threatened by cyber fraudsters who mentioned her daughter was involved in a sex scandal. It is an event that transpired on 30th September, in which the fraudsters demanded ₹1 lakh to keep this scandal under wraps.
The Haunting Call
Malti Verma received a WhatsApp call at noon. He introduced himself as a police inspector. He told her that her college-going daughter was caught in the sex racket and that she and her entire family would face severe repercussions unless they paid the amount demanded by him. Deepanshu Rajput, Malti's son, revealed that just after the call, his mother called him in an unconscious condition, alleging threats were given to her daughter. After confirming it was indeed a fake caller, her anxiety heightened instead of decreasing.
He knew it was a scam as he recognised the number had 92 as the prefix from Pakistan. So, he would be able to comfort his mother and attempt to discuss his sister's health enough to break into her panic. However, for Malti, things quite promptly go to pieces.
Deterioration In Health And Immediate Fallouts
Malti complained of chest pain and anxiety while returning home from school, and her family noticed her deteriorating condition. They immediately admitted her to the hospital, but by then, doctors pronounced her dead due to cardiac arrest. Deepanshu said they lost their mother at that time and added that stress from this fraudulent call partially caused their mother's health crisis.
Investigation Begins By Police
Jagdishpura police station in-charge Anandveer Singh said the family has complained in this regard. The police are now investigating the case focusing on the numbers such fraudsters used. Additional Commissioner of Police Mayank Tiwari said that they would take necessary action against the fraudsters, and this kind of crime is not so ordinary after all.
Broad Implications of Cyber Fraud
This is a tragic case-it establishes the risk of cyber fraud and psychological emergencies. Of all telephone scams that stole money from thousands, this one comes as a disturbing landmark just might be the first to have resulted in someone's death due to an attempt at fraud. Cybercriminals case on people's apprehensions and the pressure they apply can have disastrous consequences for mental health.
Other investigations require careful examination of the authorities that need to be dealt with, taking into consideration the present cyber fraud to protect the victims from such threats and save them. Public awareness about the identification of scams and mental health during times of stress needs to be taken care of to prevent another such tragedy.