Digital arrest scam: Retired scientist cheated of Rs 1.25 Crore, 11 arrested

A 69-year-old retired scientist and former director in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology fell victim to a cyber-extortion racket involving the "digital arrest" method. According to police reports, the complainant received a call on 14 August from individuals impersonating officers of the Delhi Police, Anti-Terrorism Squad, and National Investigation Agency. The callers alleged that the victim's Aadhaar had been misused in a money-laundering case and threatened him with arrest while maintaining video contact and controlling his movements.

Under the pretext of conducting "fund verification," the perpetrators coerced the victim into transferring Rs 1.25 crore through RTGS into three separate bank accounts. Following a complaint filed through the National Cyber Reporting Platform, the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit of the Delhi Police launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of 11 men across multiple states. Investigators discovered that the syndicate operated out of budget hotels for short durations to avoid detection and utilized mule bank accounts managed in coordination with foreign handlers based in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries.

Police operations and interrogation of suspects revealed that the syndicate used specialized applications to automatically forward OTPs to overseas handlers and communicated via Telegram groups. The syndicate's activities were linked to 78 complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal spanning multiple states, involving a total of approximately Rs 73 crore. Authorities also connected the syndicate to other major cases, including a Rs 10.25 crore fraud in Vijayawada, a Rs 77 lakh case in New Delhi, and a Rs 21 lakh investment fraud in West Bengal.

Not yet reported: The articles do not specify the final court outcomes or sentences for the arrested individuals.