Cybercriminals use “digital arrest” scams to defraud elderly victims in India

Cybercriminals are utilizing a “digital arrest” tactic to defraud elderly victims in India, posing as law enforcement and banking officials to extort large sums of money.

In Jaipur, a 90-year-old former district judge was allegedly defrauded of Rs 2.5 crore. Scammers posing as CBI officers and an RBI manager contacted the victim via WhatsApp, claiming his account was linked to a massive hawala transaction. The victim was kept under a simulated arrest for 15 days and instructed not to contact his family. The fraud was only discovered when an SBI manager intervened to prevent a transfer from the victim's Public Provident Fund account.

In a separate incident in Maharashtra, a retired professor and his wife lost Rs 1 crore after being targeted by similar tactics. Scammers posing as Delhi Police officers claimed the couple's Aadhaar details were linked to terrorist activities. The couple was kept under a 15-day “digital arrest,” during which they were pressured into transferring their savings to accounts for “verification.” Police have registered cases to investigate the money trails and identify the perpetrators.