Retired Army Colonel in Bengaluru cheated of ₹56 lakhs in digital arrest scam

A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (cheating).

An 83-year-old retired Army colonel from Bengaluru lost ₹56 lakh after falling victim to a digital arrest scam carried out over nearly two weeks. Fraudsters posing as Mumbai police officers allegedly intimidated the victim into transferring his entire savings.

Fraudsters posing as Mumbai police officers allegedly intimidated the victim into transferring his entire savings. (Pixaby)

According to his complaint filed with the central cybercrime police on 18 November, the victim received a call on 27 October from a man identifying himself as Sanjay Pise, a police officer from Mumbai. The caller claimed that a SIM card registered in the colonel’s name had been used for harassment calls and illegal advertising, and that a criminal case had been filed. He was instructed to travel to Mumbai for questioning, as per a report by The Times of India (TOI).

When the octogenarian said he could not travel because of his age, the scammers pretended to be senior police officials and placed him under a so-called “digital arrest”. They kept him on continuous video calls for the first two to three days.

During the staged investigation, the fraudsters gathered details about his family and bank accounts. They warned him that discussing the matter with anyone would lead to physical arrest, and later insisted that he share his live location every three hours once the video calls ended.

They further told him the case involved “high-profile individuals” and must remain confidential. Accusing him of illegal financial activity, the scammers asked for his bank account holder name, account number, branch and IFSC code via WhatsApp, claiming the details were needed for verification by the Reserve Bank of India. Once he complied, they demanded to know his account balances and investments.

The victim was first told to transfer ₹6 lakh to an account shared by the fraudsters. After confirming receipt of the money, they instructed him to send another ₹5 lakh—the remaining balance. They later forced him to liquidate his mutual funds, transferring over ₹35 lakh to one account and ₹10 lakh to another.

By the first week of November, the retired officer had sent a total of ₹56 lakh. The scammers assured him the money would be returned within three days after “RBI verification”. When nothing happened by 12 November, he realised he had been cheated.

A case has been registered under the Information Technology Act and Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (cheating). The investigation is underway.