A shocking case of cyber fraud has emerged in Pune, where an 82-year-old retired state government officer died of shock after he and his wife were cheated out of ₹1.19 crore in a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam. Again cybercriminals are taking advantage of law enforcement officials’ lax attitude to protect themselves and are taking advantage of the gullible victims who are not aware.
According to the police, the fraud took place from August 16 to September 17 when scammers posing as officials from the Mumbai Cyber Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contacted the elderly couple. They falsely claimed that the couple's bank accounts and Aadhaar details had been linked to a money laundering case involving a private airline.
The fraudsters allegedly intimidated the couple by telling them they were under investigation and could face imprisonment. They then put the couple under what they called a “digital arrest,” with the two connected by video calls for nearly three days. During that time, the scammers instructed the retired officer to keep his phone camera on at all times so they could extract sensitive financial information.
The threats were indeed genuine and the couple had to share their banking information, which they did, with the victims forced to transfer their savings into five different bank accounts that the fraudsters controlled. The total amount lost was ₹1.19 crore as well as money sent by their three daughters who are settling abroad.
When the fraudsters suddenly stopped approaching them, the couple realized they had been deceived. They contacted one of their daughters, who advised them to approach the police. After checking on the complaint, the victim's 80-year-old wife filed an FIR yesterday.
Police said the retired officer was still under severe mental stress thanks to the loss of his family’s life savings. The emotional trauma had a terrible effect on his health, they said. He collapsed at his residence on October 22 and was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. He had been very disturbed by the financial loss and psychological pressure from the scammers, investigators believe.
Senior Inspector Swapnali Shinde of the Pune Cyber Police said the fraudsters used fear and impersonation to manipulate the elderly couple into believing they were facing criminal prosecution.
Rohan Nyayadhish, cybercrime expert, has warned citizens to remain vigilant against such scams. “You can’t arrest somebody by phone or video call,” he said, and no police officer, CBI officer, or government agency is allowed to arrest anybody. He said people shouldn’t share bank details or Aadhaar information, OTP, or transfer money online or send money based on threats they received over the phone.
Nyayadhish also warned that cybercriminals use fake SIM cards, internet calling services, and VPNs to conceal their identities. He said people should be taking any call from their neighbors to check with the police or cybercrime helpline immediately if suspicious messages are being received in a call and not wait out of fear.
The tragic incident is a stark reminder that cyber fraud is not just about money loss but can also have huge emotional and psychological effects. And authorities are still advising people, especially senior citizens, to be aware of the new scams and report suspicious calls immediately.
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