DELHI: A 62-year-old retired schoolteacher from Vasant Kunj, Delhi, fell victim to a carefully orchestrated cyber fraud in August 2024, losing ₹77 lakh to scammers posing as Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials. The woman, Neeru, had been searching online for her regular neurological medication — sleeping pills — when she received a call from a man alleging to be an NCB officer.
Accusing her of purchasing illegal substances, the caller threatened Neeru with an arrest warrant unless she verified her identity through bank transfers. Terrified and living alone, she transferred ₹3 lakh to multiple accounts in an attempt to prove her innocence.
Ten days later, a second caller claimed to be another NCB officer — but this time presented himself as a ‘good cop’ who was willing to help. The man earned her trust by assuring her of support and even transferred ₹20,000 back into her account. Then came the critical move: he requested a video call through WhatsApp, during which four individuals appeared and instructed her to share her phone screen while opening her bank account.
What followed was a rapid sequence of debits ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh, draining her savings. When Neeru tried to contact the ‘good cop’, his phone was switched off.
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On September 24, 2024, Neeru filed a complaint at the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSCO) unit of Delhi Police’s Special Cell. The investigation, led by ACP Manoj Kumar and SI Karamvir, tracked digital footprints for months before arresting the first accused, Akhilesh, on June 24, 2025, from Mukherjee Nagar.
Subsequent raids in Haryana’s Punhana and Rajasthan’s Deeg led to the arrests of Amjad (the ‘good cop’), his brother-in-law Shahid, friend Shakeel, and another key conspirator, Hamid, who posed as the initial ‘bad cop’.
According to police, the group manipulated the woman using threats, emotional pressure, and fake authority. The accused admitted to extracting the money through screen-sharing during a staged video call and impersonating government officials.
So far, Neeru has received only ₹3 lakh back. Authorities have frozen and are investigating several bank accounts linked to the syndicate. Additionally, recovered mobile phones from the accused revealed evidence of sextortion involving other victims, which is under further probe.