Cyber fraud cases are rapidly increasing across the country and worldwide, with fraudsters operating from abroad targeting Indian citizens. Elderly people are particularly vulnerable and are often the prime targets of such scams. In a latest incident reported from Mumbai, cyber criminals cheated a 68-year-old retired woman residing in Andheri West of ₹3.71 crore through a well-planned ‘digital arrest’ scam.
According to the complaint, the accused posed as officials from Colaba Police, the CBI and even a judge, and executed the fraud through WhatsApp calls. The victim has been living in the Veera Desai Road area of Andheri West for the past 26 years.
The incident began on August 18, 2025, when the woman received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be from the police. Subsequently, she started receiving WhatsApp video calls from different mobile numbers. During one such call, the caller alleged that her Aadhaar card had been misused to open a fake account in Canara Bank, through which illegal transactions worth ₹6 crore had been carried out.
The fraudsters further told her that a money laundering case had been registered against her and that she could be arrested at any time. When the woman clarified that she did not hold any account with Canara Bank, the accused sent her a fake case number, forged FIR and fabricated documents purportedly issued by the police and the CBI. They also threatened to arrest her family members and instructed her not to speak to anyone about the matter.
The woman was kept under constant surveillance for nearly 24 hours and was told that the case was under trial. Later, another person appeared on a video call, introducing himself as ‘Judge Chandrachud’. After questioning her, he allegedly stated that bail had been denied. The accused then claimed that to prove her money was legitimate, she would have to deposit the entire amount for “verification”. She was instructed to redeem her mutual funds and transfer the money via RTGS to multiple bank accounts.
Under fear and mental pressure, the woman transferred a total of ₹3.71 crore from her IDFC Bank accounts in four separate transactions. After receiving the money, the fraudsters disconnected the calls and later demanded additional funds. At this point, the woman realised she had been cheated.
The victim subsequently approached the cyber police and lodged a complaint, submitting chat records, call details, transaction receipts and bank statements. She also reported the incident on the 1930 cyber helpline.
Police are currently investigating the case, treating it as a ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud. The accused allegedly contacted the victim using multiple mobile numbers, impersonated law enforcement officials and a judge, and subjected her to severe psychological pressure to carry out the multi-crore fraud.