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Karnataka Farmer Loses Rs 1.31 Crore in Digital Arrest…

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activeCyber Crime / Digital ArrestPan India

Karnataka Farmer Loses Rs 1.31 Crore in Digital Arrest Cyber Fraud

A 62-year-old farmer from Puttur taluk in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district allegedly lost Rs 1.31 crore in a digital arrest cyber fraud. Cybercriminals posing as Mumbai Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad officers contacted the farmer and falsely accused him of transferring money to a person allegedly involved in the Pahalgam terror attack.

State

Multiple States

First reported

October 2026

Agency involved

Dakshina Kannada Cyber Crime Police Station

Charges or sections cited

Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)

Status

Under investigation

The full story

Everything you need to know about this case, in one place.

The fraudsters subjected the farmer to an alleged digital arrest from September 2 to October 6, 2026. Using WhatsApp video calls, the accused intimidated the farmer and claimed that financial transactions were necessary to verify his bank accounts and prove his funds were legitimate, resulting in the farmer transferring a total of Rs 1,31,50,000 through RTGS transactions.

After realizing he was cheated, the farmer reported the incident to the national cybercrime helpline and lodged a complaint. The Dakshina Kannada Cyber Crime Police Station registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with investigations currently underway.

Not yet reported: The articles do not mention any suspect arrests or whether any of the transferred funds have been recovered.

Where the case stands

The latest position in the reports we read.

Police have registered a case and further investigation is underway. Details regarding arrests or recovery of the money were not provided.

Who was affected

Described in general terms; we do not name victims.

A 62-year-old retired farmer from Puttur taluk in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district.

Timeline

Key dates as reported, oldest first.

September 2, 2026The alleged digital arrest and intimidation of the farmer by the fraudsters began.

October 6, 2026The period of digital arrest and the ongoing demands by the fraudsters concluded.

Post October 6, 2026The farmer contacted the national cybercrime helpline and filed a police complaint after realizing he was cheated.

How the scam worked

The method described in the reports.

Fraudsters contacted the victim posing as law enforcement officers from Mumbai Police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad.
The accused falsely accused the victim of involvement in serious criminal activity, specifically transferring money linked to a terror attack.
The victim was subjected to prolonged psychological pressure and an alleged digital arrest via WhatsApp video calls over several weeks.
The scammers convinced the victim that transferring funds was necessary to verify bank accounts and prove the legitimacy of his money.
The victim transferred large sums of money through RTGS into multiple bank accounts specified by the fraudsters.

Targeted by something similar?

Call 1930 (free, 24x7) straight away, then file at cybercrime.gov.in. Money reported in the first hours is far easier to freeze.

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Sources and further reading

Optional. The full story is above; these are the original reports it was prepared from.

the420.inOriginal report The420.inOpens via Google News Puttur farmer loses Rs 1.31 crore in digital arrest scam - UdayavaniUdayavani · 13 Oct 2026 Puttur farmer loses Rs 1.31 crore in digital arrest scam - Mangalore TodayMangalore Today · 13 Oct 2026

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