Mumbai: Cyber Fraudsters Extort ₹35 Lakh From 72-Year-Old Man In Digital Arrest Scam

Mumbai: Mumbai continues to witness a surge in "digital arrest" scams, with a fresh case emerging from Kandivali, where cyber fraudsters held a 72-year-old man under virtual captivity for 27 days and extorted ₹35 lakh by threatening to implicate him in a money laundering case.

Posing as officials from the Mumbai Police and CBI, the fraudsters convinced the elderly victim that he was under investigation. Following his complaint, the North Cyber Cell has registered a case against three unidentified individuals and initiated an investigation.

According to the Cyber Cell, the 72-year-old victim from Kandivali received a call from an unknown number on September 29, 2024. The caller, impersonating a Mumbai Police officer, redirected him to a so-called Crime Branch officer, Ajay Patil.

Patil then informed the victim that his name had surfaced in a money laundering case and transferred the call to a fake CBI officer. The impersonator falsely accused the victim of being named in complaints from 40 women and alleged that a bank account had been opened in his name, receiving a ₹60 lakh commission.

The fraudsters then threatened him with immediate arrest if he failed to cooperate. From September 29 to October 26, 2024, the elderly man was kept under constant surveillance via video calls, during which he was manipulated into transferring ₹35 lakh. Realizing the fraud, the victim finally lodged a complaint with the Cyber Cell, which has now launched an investigation into the scam.