Retired Doctor Dies of Heart Attack After 3 Days of Cyber Fraud Threats; Scammers Still Sent Messages After Her Death
Telangana | Written by : Suryaa DeskA 76-year-old retired government doctor in Hyderabad died of a heart attack after being harassed non-stop for three days by cyber fraudsters pretending to be police officers. The scammers extorted ?6.6 lakh from her and shockingly continued sending threatening messages even after her death, police said.
The woman had worked as the chief senior resident medical officer at Mamidipudi Nagarjuna Area Hospital in Malakpet. She was first contacted on September 5 via WhatsApp video call from a number displaying the Bengaluru Police logo.
The scammers showed fake documents with logos and seals from the Supreme Court, Enforcement Directorate, and Reserve Bank of India. They falsely accused her of human trafficking and threatened her with arrest under the National Security Act unless she paid up.
Out of fear, the doctor transferred ?6.6 lakh on September 6 from her pension account in Union Bank to an ICICI Bank account linked to a fake company in Maharashtra.
But the threats didn’t stop. Another number saved in her phone as “Jaishankar Sir” continued to send her fake court notices, make video calls, and issue more warnings.
On September 8, after nearly 70 hours of psychological pressure, the doctor collapsed from chest pain at her home in Madhura Nagar. She was rushed to two hospitals but died at 12:30 pm.
Her family only discovered the extent of the harassment after her funeral on September 9. Shockingly, the scammers kept sending messages even after her death — including one that simply said “Good morning” on September 10.
The Hyderabad cybercrime police have filed a case under the IT Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police are now checking call records and tracking the bank accounts used in the scam.
This tragic case highlights the growing danger of cyber fraud and the emotional toll it can take, especially on vulnerable individuals.