Elderly Man Duped Of Rs 30 lakh in Nizamabad
The scammers falsely claimed that his Aadhaar was linked to a bank account involved in a money-laundering case and threatened both him and his wife.
Hyderabad:A 78-year-old man from Nizamabad was duped of over Rs 30 lakh after being kept under a digital arrest for three days by fraudsters impersonating Mumbai police officers.
The loss, however, could have been much higher after the fraudsters convinced the victim to pledge his gold to escape fake charges, but quick action by a trustworthy friend and officials from the Cybersecurity Bureau prevented him from doing so.
The scammers falsely claimed that his Aadhaar was linked to a bank account involved in a money-laundering case and threatened both him and his wife.
The “digital arrest” lasted for almost 50 hours, from 9 am on August 31 to 11.30 am on September 2 (Tuesday). The accused sent fabricated legal notices in the name of the Supreme Court, CBI, TRAI, and RBI to gain credibility and coerced the victim into transferring the money under the pretext of “transaction verification.” Fake payment receipts in the name of the RBI and the Enforcement Directorate were also shared.
The fraudsters further tried to convince him to take a gold loan by pledging ornaments from his locker. When the victim approached a friend for help, the friend alerted the 1930 helpline and the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS), Nizamabad. This swift action prevented further loss and ensured `20 lakh was put on hold.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to trace the accused.
In a similar case, a couple from Kasaragod, Kerala — including a retired government doctor — lost `2.4 crore after being subjected to an 11-day digital arrest. In what the couple described as a “harrowing experience” that wiped out their life’s savings, they were forced to remain continuously on a video call, even at night, resulting in sleepless nights.
The retired doctor told the media that whenever her phone battery drained, the fraudsters immediately called her husband and forced her to plug in and rejoin the call. The couple also revealed that taking more than the allotted time even to step out for groceries would invite interrogation and threats of arrest.
In one instance shared with the media, the doctor — who had a malignant lump in her breast and was scheduled for a consultation at the Mangalore Institute of Oncology — had to plead with the fraudsters for eight days before being allowed to attend the appointment on August 20. Even then, she rushed back home in fear, saying she was more worried about being arrested than about her cancer treatment.
Cybercrime officials reiterated that law enforcement or government agencies never contact citizens via WhatsApp regarding bank accounts or Aadhaar, and urged citizens not to share money or bank/locker details with unknown callers. They advised that in case of falling victim to cyberfraud, one should report suspicious calls to 1930 or at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
GRAPHIC
July 2025: Family held in a 17-day (408-hour) digital arrest via fake calls from law enforcement; lost `5.5 crore before the scam was exposed.
May 2024: Bank employee trapped in a nine-day digital arrest; forced to transfer `10.02 lakh before alerting police.
April 2024: IT professional kept under a 30-hour digital arrest through WhatsApp video calls; escaped without monetary loss.