The Chandigarh Cyber Cell has unravelled a ₹2.5 crore fraud targeting a senior citizen, a retired chief architect from Sector 10—who was duped through a sophisticated “digital arrest” scheme. Three suspects have been apprehended under a multi-state operation involving impersonation of law enforcement and judiciary officials.
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The fraud unfolded in early May when the victim received a call from someone posing as a senior official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), alleging criminal misuse of her SIM card. Soon, she was added to high-pressure WhatsApp video calls featuring individuals impersonating a CBI DIG and a Supreme Court judge, complete with fake arrest warrants and confidential seals.
During this virtual “arrest,” she was coerced into transferring her life savings to a total of ₹2.5 crore, into multiple bank accounts set up by the scammers. The attackers further threatened that any refusal to comply would lead to her immediate detention or legal action.
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Multi-State Cybercrime Operation Yields Arrests
On June 1, the victim filed a complaint at Chandigarh’s Sector 17 Cyber Cell. A swift investigation, involving digital forensics, KYC checks, call-record tracing, and IP analysis, identified three suspects in Uttar Pradesh areas like Hathras, Agra, and Saharanpur. The accused, aged 24 to 36, were tracked and arrested in early June.
Investigators established that these individuals opened and leased bank accounts specifically to launder the swindled funds. One admitted to receiving a 10% commission for making his bank account available to the fraud ring. Police have now secured their custody and are expanding the inquiry to trace the network and recover the stolen money.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.