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Delhi Police have arrested three individuals, including two women, from Bhopal in connection with a ₹71 lakh digital arrest fraud targeting a woman in the national capital. The accused allegedly impersonated senior police and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, threatening to implicate the victim in a fabricated money laundering case and send her to judicial custody. Under the pretext of helping her avoid arrest, the fraudsters coerced her into transferring ₹71 lakh across multiple bank accounts.
Impersonation and Psychological Coercion
According to police officials, the accused contacted the woman via phone and other communication channels, posing as senior law enforcement personnel. One caller claimed to be an IPS officer and alleged that her name had surfaced in a money laundering investigation, warning of imminent arrest and judicial custody. Pressured to comply with their instructions to avert legal action, the victim transferred the money as directed.
In digital arrest scams, criminals impersonate officials from the police, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate, or other investigative agencies, staging interrogations and virtual arrests over phone or video calls. By keeping victims under constant surveillance and preventing them from contacting family members or acquaintances, fraudsters force them to transfer funds under the guise of verification or account protection. Police reiterated that genuine investigative agencies never conduct digital arrests over video calls or ask citizens to deposit money into private accounts to avoid arrest.
IFSO Unit Uncovers Bhopal Mule Account Network
During the investigation, the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police traced the money trail and identified the role of the accused in Bhopal. Officers arrested a 31-year-old woman, 28-year-old Aman Soni, and his 30-year-old sister. Investigations revealed that the trio allegedly formed part of an organised cybercrime syndicate responsible for arranging bank accounts to receive cheated funds and routing them further.
Police explained that the accused used their own bank accounts as well as those belonging to others, known in cybercrime terminology as mule accounts, to layer and transfer the proceeds of fraud. Routing funds through multiple accounts complicates efforts by investigating agencies to trace the ultimate beneficiaries and masterminds. In many instances, account holders are offered commissions or financial incentives to hand over access to their bank accounts, ATM cards, and digital banking credentials.
Investigation Expands to Trace Funds and Accomplices
A central focus of the ongoing inquiry is mapping the financial trail of the ₹71 lakh and identifying the wider network operating behind the mule accounts. Investigators are tracking the specific bank accounts that received the money, how the funds were subsequently utilised, and how many additional associates in Bhopal and other cities are linked to the syndicate.
Cybersecurity experts have cautioned citizens against trusting unsolicited callers claiming to represent police or enforcement agencies. Demands for money to avoid arrest, complete an investigation, or secure a bank account are clear indicators of fraud, often accompanied by forged arrest warrants and official emblems designed to induce panic. Officials have advised individuals facing such threats to disconnect the call immediately, verify claims through official agency channels, and report the incident promptly on the cyber helpline 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
