Mumbai Elderly Man Loses ₹9 Crore in 'Digital Arrest' Scam
Mumbai Elderly Man Loses ₹9 Crore in 'Digital Arrest' Scam
An 85-year-old Mumbai resident, a former engineering professor, was duped into transferring ₹9 crore in a 'digital arrest' scam after a phony police sting.
In Mumbai, an 85-year-old retired engineering professor became the latest victim of a sophisticated 'digital arrest' scam that duped him into moving ₹9 crore. The case came to light after a bank employee flagged suspicious activity and alerted authorities. A caller had claimed to be an inspector from Panchvati Police Station in Nashik, alleging that the victim’s Aadhaar number had been misused to open a bank account used for money laundering and for transfers to a banned outfit.
On December 1, a WhatsApp video call showed a man in police uniform saying an arrest warrant had been issued and that the victim had been 'digitally arrested'. The scammers instructed him to share complete details of his bank accounts and investments, and warned him not to tell anyone. They told him the money would be returned with interest after 'verification'. Fearful of arrest, he transferred funds from fixed deposits, mutual funds and share market investments to several bank accounts between December 1 and 22, totaling ₹9 crore.
The South Region Cyber Police Station is investigating, and officials say the money was moved across multiple accounts. Investigators are exploring possible links to money laundering and financing networks involving the banned organisation PFI. The incident underscores how elderly people can be targeted by modern frauds and the importance of verifying calls through official channels rather than acting on voice or video messages.
