Eight Held in ₹14-Crore Delhi Digital Arrest Scam Targeting Elderly NRI Couple
Eight Held in ₹14-Crore Delhi Digital Arrest Scam Targeting Elderly NRI Couple
Eight suspects from varied backgrounds under police investigation for a ₹14.8 crore digital-arrest scam against an elderly NRI couple in Delhi.
Investigation into one of India's most damaging 'digital arrest' frauds has revealed a pattern of educated men using tech knowhow to swindle elderly people. The Delhi scam involved an elderly NRI couple in Greater Kailash who were hoodwinked of about ₹14.8 crore after being lulled into a 'digital arrest' scenario, with fraudsters impersonating law enforcement. The fraudsters operated across three states, connecting through shadowy social media networks and handlers based in Cambodia and Nepal.
Eight men have been arrested between January 15 and 21 in a coordinated strikes, and more could follow. The suspects include a budding Chartered Accountant who also runs an NGO, an IT diploma holder who studied in New Zealand, a pujari from Varanasi, an MBA graduate, and a private tutor. The first to be arrested was Divyang Patel, 30, a BCom graduate who cleared the CA Intermediate exam; he allegedly ran an organization called Floresta Foundation that existed largely on paper but helped move illicit funds. Krutik Shitole, 26, with an IT diploma from New Zealand, was arrested along with Patel in Gujarat.
Further arrests followed: Arun Kumar Tiwari, 45, a BA graduate working as a private data-entry operator, was taken into custody from Uttar Pradesh. On January 19, Mahavir Sharma, 27, a BCom graduate, was detained. A day later, Pradyuman Tiwari, a priest who performs private pujas in Varanasi, was arrested. The final two arrests on January 21 included Ankit Mishra, a BCom graduate and former sales executive, and Bhupender Kumar Mishra, 37, an MBA holder. The police said the group linked up through shadowy networks and international handlers, coordinating the transfer of funds via mule bank accounts.
Law enforcement recovered seven mobile phones and chequebooks during the operation, underscoring the scale and sophistication of the scheme. The elderly couple, whose identities are being protected, were subjected to intimidation and manipulation via digital means, a growing method used by fraudsters to feign arrest and compel transfers. Investigators say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests could be announced as the probe expands.
