Tragic Consequences of Digital Arrest Scam: Elderly Pune Officer Dies After Rs 1.2 Crore Fraud

Fraudsters kept an elderly couple under digital surveillance by requiring them to keep their phone camera on continuously.

An 82-year-old former state government officer from Pune suffered a fatal collapse due to shock after discovering he and his 80-year-old spouse had lost Rs 1.19 crore in a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam.

Between August 16 and September 17, the elaborate fraud was executed by criminals impersonating Mumbai Cyber Police and CBI officials.

The elderly couple, parents to three daughters living abroad, were manipulated into believing they were subjects of a money laundering investigation and remained under "digital arrest" for a three-day period.

Following police verification of her grievance application, the widow filed an official complaint on Tuesday. She informed investigators that her husband had experienced tremendous mental distress after losing their life savings and enduring persistent harassment from the scammers.

According to the official report, the man collapsed at his residence on October 22 and was transported to a hospital where medical staff pronounced him deceased. Police officials noted he had been "deeply disturbed" by the traumatic experience.

The deception began on August 16 when the elderly gentleman received a telephone call from an individual claiming to be an "encounter specialist" with Mumbai Police. The caller alleged that the man's bank account and Aadhaar information had been compromised in a money-laundering scheme involving a commercial airline.

Senior Inspector Swapnali Shinde from Pune Cyber Police explained, "The victim later received communication from another fraudster claiming to be an IPS officer from the CBI's Delhi headquarters. This caller alleged the couple's involvement in money-laundering activities and stated they would be placed under either 'home arrest' or 'jail arrest'."

The perpetrators directed the man to maintain his phone camera in an active state, effectively placing the couple under "digital arrest" for three consecutive days. During this period, they extracted all banking and identification details and pressured them into transferring funds to five separate bank accounts.

By the conclusion of the ordeal, the criminals had depleted the couple's entire savings, including financial support sent by their daughters from overseas. When the communications abruptly ceased, the couple realized they had been victimized and contacted one of their daughters, who encouraged them to report the incident to law enforcement.

Cybercrime investigator Rohan Nyayadhish informed NDTV that the public must recognize that no legitimate arrest can occur via telephone. He stressed that no authority has the legitimate power to request personal information or financial transfers under such circumstances.

"Citizens need to understand that arrests cannot be conducted through phone calls. No legitimate entity has authorization to demand credentials or money. Always authenticate such calls with local police before taking action."

He further stated, "These fraudsters operate from smaller urban centers using SIM cards and VPN networks to conceal their identities. The public must remain vigilant and avoid panic reactions."