Mumbai: In yet another high-value cybercrime case highlighting the growing menace of “digital arrest” scams, a 74-year-old retired medical officer from IIT Bombay has been cheated of ₹4.62 crore after fraudsters impersonated government officials and threatened her with CBI action in a fabricated money laundering case.
Mumbai Police have arrested two accused in connection with the fraud, while the broader racket is being investigated by the Western Region Cyber Cell.
According to police officials, the victim was subjected to sustained intimidation through phone and video calls between October 2025 and January 2026. The scam began when she received a call from a person posing as a telecom department official. This was followed by another caller claiming to be a senior IPS officer, who alleged that her Aadhaar details had been misused to open a bank account linked to suspicious transactions worth nearly ₹6 crore.
Certified Cyber Crime Investigator Course Launched by Centre for Police Technology
Threatened with arrest in fake laundering case
The impostors told the retired doctor that the alleged transactions were part of a money laundering probe and warned that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would soon initiate action against her. Fearing arrest and legal consequences, she was coerced into transferring money to multiple bank accounts provided by the cybercriminals.
Investigators said the victim, under immense psychological pressure, prematurely liquidated her fixed and recurring deposits and transferred a total of ₹4.62 crore over several instalments.
She approached the police only after realising that she had been systematically defrauded.
Money trail leads to arrests
Following her complaint, an FIR was initially registered under cheating by impersonation and provisions of the Information Technology Act. The case was later transferred to the Mumbai Police’s Western Region Cyber Cell for detailed investigation.
Officials said that analysis of the digital money trail led to the identification of two individuals who had allegedly supplied multiple bank accounts to the cybercrime syndicate.
During interrogation, it emerged that the accused would withdraw the transferred funds and hand them over to the main operators of the racket in exchange for commission. Both were subsequently arrested, and further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members of the network and recover the cheated amount.
Police sources indicated that efforts are also on to establish how many such mule accounts were used and whether the gang is linked to similar fraud cases reported across the country.
Senior citizens increasingly targeted
The case has once again brought focus on the rising number of “digital arrest” scams, in which victims—particularly senior citizens and professionals—are threatened with fabricated criminal cases, fake investigations and arrest warnings, sometimes accompanied by staged video calls to make the fraud appear authentic.
Cybercrime officials have urged citizens to remain cautious and stressed that no law enforcement agency demands money transfers over phone or video calls.
They advised people to immediately report suspicious communications or financial demands to local police stations or cybercrime helplines.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
