70-Year-Old Retired Professor From Nagpur Loses ₹16.5 Lakh In 'Digital Arrest' Scam

Mumbai: A 70-year-old retired professor from Nagpur lost Rs16.50 lakh after falling victim to a digital arrest scam.

The fraudster falsely accused him of involvement in child trafficking and claimed a bank account in Mumbai, allegedly in his name, contained proceeds from the crime. On May 6, the professor received a call from someone claiming a mobile number issued in Bengaluru under his name was used for illegal activities.

The caller then transferred him to a supposed police officer via video call, who showed him a bogus arrest warrant and demanded his Aadhaar details. Claiming the professor needed to appear before Delhi police or face arrest, the scammer said he had been placed under ‘digital arrest’ and instructed him to transfer funds for verification.

Fearing legal trouble, the complainant transferred Rs16.5 lakh across multiple accounts. After receiving vague responses when he asked for his money back, the professor realised he had been cheated and approached the cyber police to file a complaint. According to police officials, further investigation has been taken up.