Details of the Scam

The scam began when the son received a call on April 19 at approximately 11:00 AM. The call, made through WhatsApp, was from someone purporting to be a police officer from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, but was actually a cyber fraudster. During the conversation, the caller informed the son that a parcel addressed to him had been intercepted by law enforcement. The caller alleged that the parcel contained five false passports and narcotics, claims the victim denied vehemently.

As the conversation progressed, the caller made serious accusations against the son and stated that he would have to undergo a “high-level inquiry.” The intimidation tactics were employed to instil fear and urgency, further escalating the situation. The caller insisted that the victim and his wife install the Signal messaging app for a video call.

During this video call, the fraudster appeared dressed as a police officer, claiming to conduct an investigation. The couple faced additional serious allegations and were cautioned not to reveal any information about the ongoing situation to anyone. Effectively, they were placed under what was termed a “digital arrest,” experiencing psychological pressure while confined to their home.

The harassment did not cease as the fraudsters prolonged the interrogation late into the night. They demanded personal information, including Aadhaar card details, and pressured the victim to transfer Rs 12 lakh, assuring him that doing so would clear his name from the supposed case against him.

Father’s Timely Intervention

Amidst the distress of his son, the elder father observed the emotional turmoil and inquired about what was happening. His questioning led to the revelation of the fraudulent scheme. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the victim promptly contacted local police to report the incident and formally lodged a complaint against the scammers.

Preventing Digital Arrest Scams

In light of this incident, it is essential for citizens to remain vigilant against such digital scams. Experts recommend that individuals should stay calm and disconnect immediately if they receive calls threatening arrest. Many scammers utilise fear as a tactic to manipulate victims.

Individuals are advised to refrain from sending money to unknown callers, especially under duress or false pretences of clearing legal issues. Additionally, personal information should never be shared with anyone claiming to be from law enforcement or similar agencies. It is vital to remember that legitimate police procedures do not involve digital arrests.

Instead, if confronted with such allegations, victims should disconnect the call and report the issue in person at their nearest police station. By remaining informed and cautious, individuals can protect themselves from becoming victims of these sophisticated scams.

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Escalation of the Fraudulent Scheme

The scam intensified when a second individual, who introduced himself as Vijay Khanna from the Mumbai Cyber Crime branch, initiated a video call with the victim. During this interaction, the suspect allegedly hidden his identity behind an agency logo while intimidating the elderly man by supplying detailed information about his ATM card. He falsely connected the victim to a significant money laundering investigation involving Naresh Goyal, claiming that 247 ATM cards had been seized.

The victims were informed that they were implicated in accepting a ten per cent commission on illicit activities, amounting to Rs 2 crore. Under coercive pressure, the elderly man was shown fabricated documentation, including police FIRs and arrest warrants, which were sent to him via WhatsApp to support the bogus claims and further instil fear.

Consequently, under immense stress, the elderly man revealed sensitive banking and stock market information. The perpetrators then facilitated the liquidation of his shares, orchestrating the transfer of Rs 1.43 crore from his account. To avert any suspicion from the financial institution, they advised him to inform his son in Australia that the transfer was for private matters.

Realisation and Legal Action

The final transfer took place on April 9, after which the con artists cut off all communication, leaving the victim anxious and confused. It was only after discussing the situation with his nephew’s son that he understood he had fallen prey to a sophisticated scam. Feeling compelled to take action, the victim has since lodged a formal complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station, where authorities are now engaged in an active investigation into the matter.

This incident highlights the increasing prevalence of cyber fraud, particularly targeting vulnerable individuals who may not be adequately equipped to discern scams. The unfolding investigation will aim to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that protective measures are strengthened against such frauds in the future.

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How the ‘digital arrest’ happened?

According to police sources, the retired employee, a resident of Howrah’s Malipanchghara police station area, received a phone call on January 20 informing him that his phone number had been used in multiple fraudulent activities in Maharashtra. He was threatened with arrest on these charges. He was then brought onto a video call, where fraudsters posing as Mumbai Crime Branch officers continuously pressured him under the pretext of a ‘digital arrest.’

They even claimed that the case had reached the Supreme Court to further instil fear in the victim. Believing the words of the fraudsters, the senior citizen broke his fixed deposits in three banks and transferred approximately 28 lakh rupees to his own account.

On Wednesday, he was being pressured to transfer the money by fraudsters over a video call. However, he grew suspicious from their words and quickly planned of a way to escape. Leaving his mobile phone at home while the video call was still ongoing, the elderly man rushed to the nearby Malipanchghara police station.

The cybercrime branch immediately took action. His mobile SIM card was quickly removed, and the UPI details of his three bank accounts were changed. As a result, the fraudsters were unable to steal the money from his account. An officer from the Howrah City Police Cyber Crime unit stated that this fraud ring was likely operating from Cambodia.

Despite increased awareness about digital fraud, senior citizens are still falling into these traps. In many cases, victims delay reporting the incident to the police even after losing money. Police have advised the public to remain vigilant and to contact the police immediately if they receive any suspicious phone calls or video calls, instead of panicking.

77-year-old cheated of Rs 35 lakh in a digital arrest near Kolkata

A 77-year-old university professor was cheated of Rs 35 lakh in a digital arrest fraud and was under house arrest for almost two weeks since the first week of Jan. A resident of Salt Lake near Kolkata, the victim is a former pro-Vice Chancellor of Jadavpur University. Police said the victim and his wife were duped by crooks who impersonated officials of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and law enforcement agencies.

They also threatened him with arrest under the National Security Act. According to police, between Jan 1 and Jan 14, he received multiple calls from fraudsters who allegedly threatened him with arrest in a fabricated criminal case, accusing him of having links with Sadakat Khan, an accused arrested last year in connection with a human trafficking racket operating out of Cambodia and linked to cybercrime syndicates.

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Months of Coercion Before the Truth Emerged

The woman approached the police only after her son’s wedding in June 2025, saying the psychological trauma and constant intimidation left her unable to report earlier. In her complaint, she stated, “In total, through 187 transactions, I stand deprived of a total amount of approximately Rs 31.83 crores, which were deposited by me.”

She also said the prolonged stress led to a month-long period of medical treatment.

How a Phone Call Triggered a Six-Month Nightmare

Her ordeal began on September 15, 2024, when she received a call from someone claiming to be employed at DHL’s Andheri centre. The caller alleged that a package sent in her name contained credit cards, multiple passports and MDMA, and that her phone number was linked to the suspicious parcel.

Before she could respond, she was connected to individuals pretending to be CBI officials, one of whom informed her that “all evidence is against you”.

Threats, Surveillance and Fake Authority

The fraudsters convinced her that dangerous criminals were monitoring her residence and that contacting the police would put her family at risk. Her son’s approaching wedding deepened her fear, and she followed every instruction given to her. She was told to install two Skype IDs through which she remained visible to the scammers at all times.

For two days, a man identifying himself as Mohit Handa kept watch, followed by Rahul Yadav for a week. A third impersonator, Pradeep Singh, acted as a senior officer and pressured her relentlessly to “prove her innocence”.

Financial Draining Under the Guise of Verification

By late September, the criminals had obtained every detail of her finances. They then instructed her to deposit nearly all her assets for supposed verification by the Financial Intelligence Unit under the RBI. Between September 24 and October 22, she shared complete banking details.

From October 24 to November 3, she transferred Rs 2 crore as a “surety amount”, after which the scammers demanded more money as “taxes” and “processing charges”.

Fake Certificates and Manipulated Deadlines

To make the scheme appear legitimate, forged documents were shown to her, including a fabricated clearance letter dated December 1, 2024. Believing that her name would soon be cleared, she proceeded with her son’s engagement on December 6.

However, the criminals continued to push new deadlines, assuring her that the deposited money would be reimbursed by February 2025.

She told PTI,  “I was told that the money would be returned by February 25 after completion of all procedures.”

Communication Cut Off in March

The woman remained under daily digital surveillance even while unwell. Eventually, on March 26, 2025, all contact from the fraudsters stopped abruptly. Only after the wedding preparations and her recovery did she muster the courage to approach the police in November 2025.

Police Begin Tracing the Network

The East Cybercrime Police Station has registered the case and is analysing the transaction trail. Officials say that because the loss exceeds Rs 3 crore, the matter could be transferred to the CID for deeper investigation. Officers noted that the criminals appeared to have tracked her phone activity and location, adding to the believability of their threats.

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The result is that the burden of cases has increased so much that each inspector is entangled in the investigation of 300-400 cases.

More than three hundred cases registered every day

More than 300 cybercrime cases are being registered daily in Patna Cyber ​​Police Station. These include cases like online fraud, digital arrest, bank fraud, fake calls, and social media crime. Under the new law, these cases have to be investigated by the officers of Inspector Rank. Earlier 9 inspectors were stationed here, recently 6 more met, which increased the number to 15. But the flood of cases is so much that the increased number is also proving insufficient.

According to the police officials posted in the police station, at present, one inspector each has 300 to 400 cases for investigation. In solving any case, long processes have to be done like technical investigation, banking records, digital footprints and mobile data. By the time an inspector progresses in one case, he gets more new cases.

Cases are also being registered from other districts

One major reason for increasing the number of cases is that people of other districts of Bihar are also registering cases in Patna Cyber ​​Police Station. On average, 200 of the 300 cases coming every day are from other districts. Investigation has revealed that many people are lodging a report in Patna police station using the address of tenant or acquaintance. At the same time, many police stations forward the case directly. Due to this, the burden of Patna Cyber ​​Police Station has doubled.

There are currently more than 45 cases of digital arrests near Patna Cyber ​​Police Station. Not a single case has been revealed so far. According to DSP Nitish Chandra Dharia, in -charge of cyber station, accused use VPN server. When the police reaches their whereabouts with the help of account and transaction, it is often revealed that the real owners of the accounts where the money went. The withdrawal of money is being done mostly from other states including Uttarakhand, Haryana, UP, Delhi, Gujarat.

Lack of technology and resources

The investigation of cyber crime cannot be resolved by mere number of inspectors. This requires technical expertise, modern software and data tracking capacity. At present, the police station is deprived of these resources. This is the reason that new methods of criminals leave the police behind.

The report of Patna Cyber ​​Police Station also states that the network of cyber criminals is spread outside the state boundaries. Most calls and transactions are connected to other states. In such a situation, Bihar Police needs inter-state coordination instead of taking action at the local level.

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Victim Trapped in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam

Manju Ganguly, 76, is a resident of Dum Dum Park in Kolkata. She received a video call in December last year from a scammer. The scammer allegedly posed as an officer of the Mumbai Cyber Crime Branch. According to the complaint filed by Manju, the fraudster was dressed in a police uniform. The scammers claimed that her Aadhaar card had been used for illegal activities, including SIM card fraud, sexual harassment, and fake gambling advertisements.

Threatened with Arrest

The caller threatened Ms Ganguly with legal action and kept her virtually hostage for two days, preventing her from seeking help. Under immense pressure, she transferred Rs 11 lakh to multiple bank accounts provided by the scammers.

Following this, the lady filed an official complaint at Bidhannagar Police Station. After receiving the complaint, police launched an investigation into the matter. The police traced the accused through his mobile tower location and IP address, eventually leading to his arrest in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Tuesday.

An officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said, “Mahesh Kumar, a 20-year-old man from Bas Kripalnagar village in Kishangarh Bas tehsil of Alwar district in Rajasthan, was arrested in connection with a digital arrest case filed in Lake Town Police Station”.

Rise in Cyber Scams Targeting the Elderly

The Police have noted a sharp rise in such “digital arrest” scams where criminals impersonate law enforcement officials and intimidate victims into compliance. A similar case was reported last month in New Town Kolkata. A retired Air Force officer lost Rs 1.7 crore in an identical digital fraud.

Meanwhile, the authorities have urged citizens, especially the elderly, to remain vigilant and cautious. They have urged the citizens to verify such fraud calls with official sources before taking any action.

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How the crime took place

The victim Chandrabhan Paliwal received a phone call from an unknown number on February 1. The caller pretended to work for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and demanded Paliwal to follow their instructions or face immediate SIM card blockage. Later Paliwal received a video call from an imposter posing as an IPS officer who claimed to work at ‘Kolava Police Station’ in Mumbai. Paliwal received a call stating that 24 criminal cases had been filed against him on charges of extorting money. The imposter claimed that a money laundering investigation against Paliwal by the CBI was underway.

Whole family falls into trap

During the escalation of the scam, Paliwal’s wife and daughter also fell prey to the same fraudulent criminals. The victims received threatening video calls with orders to pay a substantial amount of money. Throughout five consecutive days the family gave up Rs 1.10 crore to criminals.

The scam involved a series of fake video calls, with the fraudsters using the fear of arrest to manipulate the victims. The family believed they were genuinely under investigation, which led them to make the payments. However, after the incident, Paliwal reported the matter to the police, who have now launched an investigation.

Police advises citizens to be cautious of such crimes

Preeti Yadav, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Cyber Crime stated that a case has been registered while the police are actively working to track down the criminals responsible for this fraud. ‘Digital arrest’ scams, where criminals pose as law enforcement officials have been growing in frequency, with many victims falling prey to the deceitful tactics of the fraudsters. The police have advised the public to be cautious.

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This situation typically makes up a new form of cybercrime called a ‘digital arrest’. The situation of a digital arrest involves a fraudster calling you by the name of an officer from the CBI, FBI, ED, TRAI, etc. The fraudster then approaches the intended target using audio or visual calls. The first step is to intimidate people and the second step is to extort money from them while confiding them to one location physically, usually the victim’s own house. This creates a situation of false pretence of an arrest in a digital form, and hence the cybercrime is called a ‘digital arrest’.

Digital Arrest Frauds in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the first quarter of the year 2024, highlighted that India has lost approximately Rs.120.30 crores in digital arrest frauds. According to the data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, digital arrests have become a prevalent method of digital fraud lately. The ministry also monitors the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre.

The base for many such frauds comes out to be Southeast Asian countries, like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Approximately 46% of cyber frauds reported between January to April this year were from these three countries. The total value of money lost by victims can be estimated to be touching Rs.1,776 crores. 

Data from the national cybercrime reporting portal also showed that Rs. 7.4 lakh complaints were made between January to April while Rs.15.56 lakh complaints were received in 2023. A year before in 2022, Rs.9.66 lakh complaints were reported, which was higher than the figure of Rs.4.52 lakh complaints reported in 2021. These trends point towards the growing magnitude of cyber arrests in India.

The targets for these crimes are chosen very carefully and would be contacted over Skype or other video calling platforms, which can secure the identity of the caller. According to the Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre situated in New Delhi (also called 14 C), there are four categories of digital scams. These include digital arrests, trading scams, investment scams, and romance scams. The daily newspaper Indian Express reported the official court of the chief executive officer of 14C, Rajesh Kumar, who revealed the surprising figure of money lost in all the scams, 

“We found that Indians lost Rs.120.30 Cr in digital arrests, Rs. 1,420.48 Cr in trading scams, Rs. 222.58 Cr in investment scams and Rs. 13.23C in Romance scams.”

“The cybercrime operations based in these countries employ a comprehensive array of strategies, including recruitment efforts by exploiting social media to lure Indians with fake employment opportunities.” Kumar added further.

Security from Digital Crime

The space for physical and mechanical mobility has been taken up by the digital world. This has increased the ambit of digital platforms. Everything from rural benefit transfers to Aadhaar cards has been digitised. It then becomes important to ensure personal security.

This can be done by using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication in all your bank accounts and digital devices. It can come out to be less convenient for personal use, but given the increasing cybercrime, this is the only way out. In case of theft or data breach, always keep a backup of your personal data so that you can erase everything from a device whenever you want. An active virus plan can further add to the security wall of your device.

Being the victim of a cybercrime should not be taken as a fault of the victim because these crimes are planned in an organized manner. The targets are carefully selected, and the fraudsters have a lot of practice to use different methods of intimidation. Hence one can go beyond judging a victim and reporting immediately to the cyber security cell without hesitation or delay.

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