A 68-year-old retired police officer from Nashik, Maharashtra, has lost Rs 71 lakh after cybercriminals subjected him to a 20-day digital arrest by falsely implicating him in a fabricated terrorism and money laundering case. The fraudsters posed as officials from the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the National Investigation Agency, convincing the former assistant sub-inspector that his identity credentials had been recovered from an arrested militant in Kashmir and used to launder Rs 70 crore through a private bank account. Under sustained intimidation and continuous virtual surveillance, the victim was coerced into liquidating his savings and transferring the funds across three separate transactions before realizing he had been deceived.
Fabricated Terror Link Used to Intimidate Former Officer
The extortion began on September 28 when the victim received a phone call from a woman identifying herself as Inspector Seema Roy from the Mumbai ATS headquarters. The caller questioned the retired officer about whether he had ever visited Kashmir. Following his denial, she claimed that security forces had apprehended two terrorists in the region, one of whom was allegedly carrying his Aadhaar card. She further stated that the suspects were being held by the Lucknow ATS and that he would need to answer questions from officers handling the investigation.
About an hour later, the victim was contacted through a WhatsApp video call by an individual calling himself Vikram Singh, who appeared on screen wearing a police uniform. The caller claimed that an account opened in the victim’s name had handled Rs 70 crore in laundered funds, adding that these transactions were documented in a formal first information report. Despite the victim’s insistence that he had never opened such an account, the callers intensified their pressure, asserting that the chief of the National Investigation Agency had sanctioned an asset inquiry against him while threatening him with immediate arrest and property confiscation.
Victim Confined to Home as Funds Transferred in Tranches
Between September 28 and October 17, the perpetrators kept the former policeman confined to his residence under the guise of an ongoing digital arrest. The fraudsters convinced the victim that his daily movements, phone calls, and domestic activities were under constant official surveillance. Operating under extreme fear of criminal prosecution and public disgrace, the 68-year-old disclosed detailed information regarding his personal finances, bank accounts, and lifetime investments.
The syndicate then instructed him to move capital into specified accounts under the pretext of an official financial audit. Compelled by escalating threats, the victim made three major transfers, sending Rs 41 lakh on October 5, Rs 25 lakh on October 8, and Rs 5 lakh on October 13. The communications, conducted primarily through WhatsApp and the Signal messaging application, ceased abruptly once the final payment was completed. After the callers became entirely unreachable, the retired officer realized he had fallen victim to an elaborate cyber fraud.
Nashik Cyber Police Probe Financial Trail Across Banks
The victim formally registered a complaint with the Nashik City Cyber Police on October 17, naming individuals who operated under the aliases Seema Roy, Vikram Singh, and Rakesh Agarwal. Investigating officers have registered a case and initiated formal inquiries with the receiving banks to determine the ownership of the destination accounts and freeze any remaining balances before the funds are dispersed further through secondary mule networks.
Cybercrime authorities noted that extortion networks routinely exploit fear surrounding national security agencies to manipulate older citizens and retired personnel. Law enforcement agencies reiterated that legitimate police bodies never conduct custodial interrogations over video platforms, nor do they order citizens to deposit personal funds into third-party bank accounts to clear their names during an inquiry.
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