Bengaluru | A 74-year-old man and his wife in Bengaluru, Karnataka, allegedly lost ₹3.17 crore in a sophisticated “digital arrest” cyber fraud after fraudsters posing as telecom and police officials kept them under psychological intimidation for more than three months. According to the complaint, the accused falsely claimed the couple was involved in serious financial crimes and coerced them into transferring over ₹3.17 crore to multiple bank accounts. Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. The allegations remain subject to verification through the ongoing investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
According to police, the couple, residents of Jayanagar First Block, received a call from a landline number on March 9. The callers claimed that their landline connection would be disconnected within two hours because it had allegedly been linked to criminal activities.
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According to the complaint, the following day the couple was instructed to press a number on the phone, after which the call was transferred to a woman posing as a senior telecom official and later to individuals impersonating police officers holding the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP).
The fraudsters allegedly told the couple that their personal information had been used in money laundering, narcotics trafficking and hawala transactions, and falsely claimed that criminal cases had been registered against them. They then placed the couple under a so-called “digital arrest,” instructing them not to speak to anyone, not to leave their home without permission, and to answer every call immediately.
Under the pretext of financial verification, the accused allegedly obtained access to the couple’s banking information and directed them to transfer money in multiple instalments to various bank accounts. The fraudsters also allegedly asked the couple to mortgage their jewellery and transfer the proceeds, but the couple refused.
Believing the claims to be genuine, the couple allegedly transferred a total of ₹3,17,80,000 through multiple transactions from different bank accounts to beneficiary accounts specified by the fraudsters.
The scam came to light after the accused repeatedly delayed returning the money on the pretext of completing “income tax clearance” formalities and eventually stopped responding to the couple’s calls. Realising they had been cheated, the victims approached the police.
A researcher at Algoritha Security said digital arrest scams rely on criminals impersonating police officers, investigating agencies or government officials to create fear and isolate victims. The researcher emphasised that no government agency instructs citizens to transfer money over phone or video calls. To prevent such frauds, people should independently verify threatening calls, never share banking credentials or OTPs, and immediately contact the cyber police if they suspect fraudulent activity.
Police said the investigation is ongoing. Investigators are tracing the bank accounts used in the fraud, analysing the flow of funds, and working to identify the individuals who posed as telecom and police officials. Further legal action will be based on digital evidence, banking records and other technical findings collected during the investigation.
