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Cybercriminals have cheated Chandigarh residents of approximately ₹8 crore through digital arrest scams during the first ten months of 2026, with senior citizens emerging as the primary targets. The Cyber Crime Cell received 28 complaints and registered seven FIRs between January 1 and October 31, highlighting the continued use of fake police investigations and threats of arrest to extort money from victims.
The number of complaints has already exceeded the 16 digital arrest cases reported in 2025. However, financial losses were higher during the corresponding period last year, when victims lost nearly ₹10.3 crore.
Who Are the Main Targets?
Police data indicates that victims aged between 53 and 89 have been particularly affected by digital arrest scams.
Senior citizens in the 70 to 89 age group have emerged as especially vulnerable, with some individuals above 80 reportedly losing between ₹3 crore and ₹4 crore.
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The cases highlight how fraudsters exploit fear of criminal proceedings to pressure elderly victims into transferring substantial amounts from their savings.
How Do Digital Arrest Scams Work?
Fraudsters impersonate officials from agencies such as the police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
They falsely accuse victims of involvement in money laundering, drug trafficking or illegal parcel shipments.
The scammers then threaten arrest or legal action, convincing victims that they must cooperate with a supposed investigation.
Despite the official-sounding claims, digital arrest is an extortion scheme based on impersonation rather than a legitimate detention procedure.
Digital Arrest Scams Explained: How Cybercriminals Use Fear to Steal Money
Understand how digital arrest scams work, the tactics fraudsters use to intimidate victims, and the steps you can take to protect yourself from such fraud.
How Are Victims Kept Under Pressure?
Criminals allegedly force victims to remain connected through video calls for extended periods, sometimes maintaining continuous surveillance through their phone cameras.
Victims are discouraged from contacting relatives, friends or other people who might question the fraudulent claims. To strengthen their deception, scammers operate from locations resembling police stations, government offices or courtrooms.
Some wear uniforms and display forged identity cards to convince victims that the proceedings are genuine.
How Is Money Extorted?
Once victims are frightened, fraudsters demand payments under the pretext of account verification, security deposits, bail or settlement of fabricated criminal cases. The money is transferred into multiple bank accounts controlled by the suspected fraud network.
These demands often follow lengthy conversations intended to convince victims that immediate payment is necessary to avoid arrest.
Which Major Cases Were Reported?
Several incidents during 2026 demonstrate the financial impact of these scams. In June, fraudsters impersonating government officials allegedly kept a couple under video surveillance for hours and cheated them of ₹2.1 crore.
On October 17, a retired UT administration employee and his wife reportedly lost more than ₹1.9 crore to criminals posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad officers.
In September, a retired teacher from Sector 20 was cheated of ₹48 lakh by individuals impersonating NIA and police personnel.
What Action Have Police Taken?
Police have arrested several suspected operatives in individual cases, although the principal organisers of the networks remain unidentified.
An August case involving ₹9.5 lakh led to the arrest of Howrah resident Raj Kumar Shah. Earlier, in January, police apprehended interstate suspects connected to two separate digital arrest cases involving losses of ₹38 lakh and ₹85 lakh.
Investigations continue into the wider criminal networks responsible for these scams.
