CPI(M)’s Kongad MLA K. Santhakumari narrowly escaped falling victim to a sophisticated online scam in which fraudsters tried to convince her that she was being “digitally arrested” for alleged links to a terrorism case.
Fraudsters contacted the MLA on Saturday morning from an unknown number, claiming that a Canara Bank account had been opened in her name and that it had been used by terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir for anti-national activities. They warned her that she would face “digital arrest” over the case.
According to Ms. Santhakumari, the callers spoke to her for several hours, trying to intimidate and confuse her with what appeared to be convincing details. She said she was deeply disturbed by the interview, especially as the allegations could embarrass her CPI(M) party at a sensitive political time.
“The people who spoke sounded very authentic and tried their best to threaten me,” she said, adding that the episode kept her under a lot of stress for hours.
Eventually, the MLA realized that she was dealing with a cyber scam and immediately contacted the police. She managed to avoid financial loss.
With this experience in mind, Ms. Santhakumari said that even as a public representative, she found the situation extremely disturbing. “If I could be shaken like that, think about what ordinary people go through when they face calls like that,” she said.
Police officials said there was no legal concept of a “digital arrest” and urged the public not to be swayed by such claims. With the help of cyber experts, an investigation has been launched to trace the gang that tried to trap the MLA.
Published – 07 March 2026 20:59 IST
