Daughter’s viral LinkedIn post reveals psychological warfare used by cybercriminals to exploit elderly victims
In a heart-wrenching LinkedIn post that has gone viral, Indian-origin Singapore resident Richa Goswami has revealed how her mother, a retired senior scientist and widow, lost her entire life savings after falling prey to a highly orchestrated digital arrest scam. The incident has ignited widespread concern over the growing threat of sophisticated cybercrimes targeting the elderly, reported hindustantimes.com.
Dr. Usha Goswami, an accomplished scientist with multiple international patents, became the victim of a cybercrime that didn’t begin with a phishing link or suspicious email—but a video call.
According to her daughter, fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials accused Dr. Goswami of crimes like money laundering and human trafficking. Using doctored documents and manipulated videos, the scammers isolated and mentally broke down the retired scientist over several days, coercing her into transferring all her savings.
Richa’s emotional message began: “This is the hardest post I’ve ever had to write. But I’m writing it because it could happen to your mother. Your father. Your loved ones.”
The scam technique—referred to as a “digital arrest”—is a terrifying form of psychological manipulation. Victims are virtually “held hostage” via constant calls, threats, and instructions, cut off from friends and family, and driven into compliance through fear and shame.
A COMMUNITY CALL FOR VIGILANCE AND COMPASSION
In her post, Goswami urged others to educate their parents and elderly loved ones about such scams: “These scammers use fear, shame, and confusion as their most powerful weapons.” She ended with a call to action: “Please share this post. It might protect someone’s parents from a devastating mistake.”
The response has been overwhelming. LinkedIn users flooded the comments with sympathy, support, and similar stories. Many shared experiences of their elderly parents receiving similar scam calls. One user wrote, “This is scary! And this is not the first instance of such cybercrime I’ve heard of.” Another added, “I hope the cyber cell is investigating. Our prayers are with your mother.”
Cybersecurity experts and concerned citizens alike are now calling for more robust awareness campaigns and easier access to emergency support for victims of such scams.
