Mumbai: Elderly Doctor Duped of ₹2.89 Crore in Fake Digital Arrest Scam; Cyber Cell Recovers ₹1.29 Crore

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 73-year-old retired doctor from Vile Parle was cheated of ₹2.89 crore by cybercriminals posing as officials from TRAI, police, and judiciary. The fraudsters created panic by threatening him with a "digital arrest" and falsely linking him to a money laundering case. However, swift action by North Region Cyber Police helped recover ₹1.29 crore from the transferred amount.

According to the police, the incident began on June 2 when the senior citizen received a phone call from an unknown person claiming to be an officer from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Shortly after, other callers posing as police officers and judges alleged that irregular transactions had taken place in the doctor’s bank account. They accused him of being involved in financial crimes linked to businessman Naresh Goyal and claimed that proceeds from those crimes had been transferred into his account.

The fraudsters further threatened him with immediate legal action, stating that a warrant had already been issued against him. They warned him of a "digital arrest," under which he would be monitored continuously, barred from stepping out of his house, and forbidden from contacting anyone — failure to comply, they claimed, would lead to instant arrest.

Frightened by the threats, the doctor shared his bank account details with the scammers. Under the guise of verifying his innocence, they coerced him into transferring large sums from his bank account. Between June 2 and 4, he made five online transfers totaling ₹2.89 crore to various accounts as instructed by the fraudsters.

Suspecting foul play after losing contact with the callers, the victim consulted a family acquaintance, who confirmed it was a scam. He immediately approached the North Region Cyber Police with a complaint.

The police quickly filed a report on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and contacted nodal officers of the banks involved, requesting to freeze the suspicious transactions. Their prompt efforts successfully stopped the transfer of ₹1.29 crore, which has now been secured.

Cyber Cell has registered a case under relevant sections of the IT Act and IPC against unknown persons and has launched a detailed investigation to trace the remaining amount and the fraudsters’ identities.

Senior officials have praised the timely and effective response by the Cyber Cell team, which helped recover a significant part of the defrauded money and prevented further financial loss.