New Delhi | December 28, 2025 | Cyber fraud in India is no longer just a financial crime. It is rapidly evolving into a form of digital terror. Using fake police officers, impersonated investigation agencies, so-called “digital arrests,” courtroom-style video calls, and high-tech intimidation tactics, cybercriminals are targeting victims across the country. Crores of rupees are being siphoned off, victims are left with deep psychological trauma, and justice remains painfully slow. This crisis is no longer confined to a particular state, city, or social group.
According to former IPS officer and cybercrime expert Professor Triveni Singh, India has entered a dangerous phase of cybercrime. “We are now at a stage where fraud attacks the mind before it attacks the money,” he says. In cases involving so-called digital arrests, criminals weaponise fear and confusion, often more effectively than any legal threat.
This assessment is echoed by the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF) in its recent analysis. The foundation notes that cybercrime in India has moved beyond isolated cheating incidents and has taken the shape of organised psychological operations, where victims are mentally isolated and brought under complete control.
Even a former IPS officer not spared
In Punjab’s Patiala, a former IPS officer with 29 years of service, Amar Singh Chahal, was allegedly cheated of more than ₹8 crore in a cyber fraud. Sources associated with the probe say the massive financial loss pushed him into severe mental distress.
Professor Triveni Singh points out that this case demolishes the belief that experience or institutional knowledge offers immunity. “Uniform, rank, or system awareness does not guarantee protection. Cybercriminals create a separate psychological profile for every victim,” he says.
FCRF adds that high-profile cases are often exploited by fraudsters to build fear and credibility among future targets.
70 days of ‘digital arrest’: A human rights concern
In Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, a dialysis patient was kept under what fraudsters termed a “digital arrest” for 70 days. Impersonating investigation officials, the accused subjected the victim to constant video-call surveillance, threats, and the fear of imminent legal action.
“This is equivalent to digital hostage-taking,” says Professor Triveni Singh. “The victim is physically free, but mentally imprisoned.”
According to FCRF, in such cases the victim’s decision-making ability is deliberately broken, ensuring they stop questioning instructions altogether.
Fake CBI officers and bogus judges
In Bihar’s capital, Patna, cybercriminals posed as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and even as judges, extorting lakhs of rupees from unsuspecting victims. Fake courtrooms, government insignia, and legal jargon were displayed during video calls to convince victims they were trapped in a serious criminal case.
Crores lost in Chandigarh
In Chandigarh, multiple cases involving losses of over ₹1 crore have been reported, where victims were threatened with arrest using forged documents and impersonated officials. According to FCRF, spoofed calls and fabricated documentation have become the most powerful tools in such frauds.
Greed, fear and technology: The deadly trio
Based on FCRF’s analysis and Professor Triveni Singh’s assessment, modern cyber fraud in India rests on three pillars:
- Greed (promises of high returns),
- Fear (arrest threats, fake cases, digital detention), and
- Technology (spoof calls, deepfake videos, fake apps and websites).
“Cybercriminals today rely less on technology and more on human vulnerabilities,” Prof. Singh warns.
Criminals faster than the law
Law enforcement agencies acknowledge that cybercriminal networks are moving faster than investigation and prosecution mechanisms. Inter-state and international syndicates, crypto transactions, and mule accounts allow stolen money to vanish from the system within minutes.
Vigilance is the only defence
The joint warning from Professor Triveni Singh and FCRF is unequivocal: no government agency arrests people over phone or video calls, and no legitimate authority demands immediate payments. Avoiding suspicious calls, emails, and links, improving digital literacy, and reporting incidents promptly remain the most effective safeguards.
Until law, technology, and public awareness advance together, one message remains critical:
Stay alert, stay informed—because the next victim could be anyone.
