82-year-old man loses ₹72 lakh to ‘digital arrest’ scam

An 82-year-old resident of Banjara Hills lost ₹72 lakh after falling victim to a ‘digital arrest’ fraud that played out over ten days earlier this month.

According to an officer from the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police, the scam began on August 11 when the victim received a WhatsApp video call from someone who introduced himself as an officer from the Mumbai Crime Branch.

The victim was falsely told that his Aadhaar card had been misused in a money laundering case and was threatened with account freezes if he failed to cooperate.

“On August 12, the fraud escalated when the victim was coerced into attending a fake video conference, purportedly held by the Supreme Court. During the call, he was accused of being linked to illegal activities, including sending harassing messages. The fraudsters then pressured him into transferring funds for so-called verification purposes,” said the officer.

Out of fear, the victim liquidated his fixed deposits and transferred ₹72 lakh into a bank account provided by the scammers. It was only after recalling similar frauds reported in the news that he realised he had been duped. He later lodged a complaint with Hyderabad’s Cyber Crime police.

Officials emphasised that there is no such thing as a ‘digital arrest’. Arrests require physical presence, warrants and legal procedures. Law enforcement agencies and courts do not conduct arrests through video calls, emails or online platforms.

Police urged people to remain vigilant and to avoid engaging with unsolicited calls from individuals posing as police officers or judicial authorities. They advised citizens to independently verify any such claims by contacting local police directly, rather than relying on contact details provided by callers.