‘Digital Arrest’ Fraudsters Dupe Two Pune Senior Citizens of ₹39.5 Lakh
‘Digital Arrest’ Fraudsters Dupe Two Pune Senior Citizens of ₹39.5 Lakh
Shocking misuse of authority-like tactics left two elderly Pune residents drained of their life savings, as cyber-criminals executed separate digital arrest scams last month. Two senior citizens — a 77-year-old retired employee from a private company and a 69-year-old former government hospital staffer — lost a combined ₹39.5 lakh after being manipulated into believing they were accused in serious criminal cases.
Case 1: 77-year-old man trapped in fake terror-link interrogation
The first victim, a resident of Aundh, was pushed into panic on October 28 when he received a video call from a caller pretending to be an ATS officer from Mumbai. The scammer falsely claimed his Aadhaar and mobile number had been traced to terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. He was further told that he was suspected of laundering ₹60 crore and that an arrest warrant had supposedly been issued.
A Chatushrungi police officer said the fraudster ordered the man to travel to Lucknow for an inquiry. When he explained he couldn’t travel, he was instructed to stay continuously connected on a video call. The victim was then linked to another impersonator posing as a senior ATS official.
During this staged interrogation, the fraudster allegedly extracted complete banking information, including the man’s fixed deposits. He was told to liquidate his FDs, move the money into his account, and then transfer the funds to another bank account for “verification.” To make the ploy appear authentic, the scammer sent him a forged document carrying the names of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the RBI.
Frightened by the threats, the elderly man transferred ₹14.5 lakh the same day. Shortly after, he received yet another fake letter confirming “receipt of funds.”
Later, when he finally spoke to his sons living abroad, they immediately told him he had been cheated. Acting on their advice, he approached the cyber police, and following initial inquiry, Chatushrungi police registered a case.
Case 2: 69-year-old woman deceived with fabricated CBI investigation
In a separate incident, a 69-year-old retired government hospital employee filed a complaint with Samarth police after being duped of ₹25 lakh. On October 14, criminals pretending to be CBI officers contacted her, claiming she was involved in a money-laundering case. They also alleged that her Aadhaar details had been misused to send a parcel containing drugs to Thailand.
The scammers convinced her that she must withdraw her fixed deposits for “verification.” They even coached her on what to tell bank staff, advising her to claim the money was needed for her son to buy a house. Staying in constant touch, the criminals pressured her into transferring ₹24.5 lakh via RTGS to the account number they provided. Once she spoke to her daughter-in-law, she realized she had been defrauded and approached the police to file an official complaint.
