In two separate incidents of digital arrest fraud, two senior citizens from Pune were targeted by cybercriminals who looted a combined ₹39.5 lakh by posing as law enforcement officials.
77-year-old retiree forced to transfer ₹14.5 lakh
A 77-year-old man retired from a private firm in Aundh lost ₹14.5 lakh after fraudsters impersonated Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers and threatened him with a connection to a terror case.
According to the police, on October 28, the victim received a video call from a man claiming to be an ATS officer from Mumbai. The caller alleged that the senior citizen’s Aadhaar and mobile number were linked to terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack and that ₹60 crore had been laundered through these details.
The victim, worried by the threat, was kept on a continuous video call and instructed not to inform any of his family members.
Later, the fraudsters transferred the call to another so-called officer who demanded access to his banking details. The scammers instructed him to prematurely break his fixed deposits and transfer ₹14.5 lakh for verification, assuring him the amount would be returned and that if his account was not involved, the arrest warrant would be cancelled.
Later, he narrated the story to his son and realised he had been cheated. A case has been registered at Chatushrungi Police Station.
69-year-old former employee of a govt hospital cheated of ₹24.5 lakh
In another incident, a 69-year-old former employee of a government hospital was cheated of ₹24.5 lakh by fraudsters posing as CBI officers on October 14.
According to the police, the victim received a call claiming that her Aadhaar number had been used to send a drug-related parcel to Thailand. They told her she was now under investigation for money laundering.
The fraudsters instructed her to liquidate her fixed deposits. They also told her to mislead bank officers to avoid raising suspicion.
Following the threat, she transferred ₹24.5 lakh via RTGS to a bank account provided by the scammers. She informed her daughter-in-law only after the transaction was completed.
When she realised she had been cheated, a case was filed at Samarth Police Station.
On the condtion of anonymity, a cyber police official told The Free Press Journal that the cyber team of Pune Police is facing a shortage of manpower. "The recovery rate is very low. People need to be aware of such incidents and avoid transferring money without proper verification. Additionally, they should share information about such fake video calls and threats with their family members," he added.
Police have urged citizens, especially seniors, to remain alert to such increasingly common digital arrest scams and to immediately verify any suspicious calls claiming to be from government agencies.
