Fake cops, SIM card fraud: How Delhi woman was cheated of ₹7 crore in ‘digital arrest’

The victim, whose family runs a furniture business, received a call on January 5 from individuals posing as police officials.

A 70-year-old woman, living alone in south Delhi’s Greater Kailash, was defrauded of over ₹7 crore in an elaborate cyber scam where con artists held her under “digital arrest” for more than eight days, police said on Thursday.

70-year-old Delhi woman cheated of ₹7 crore in eight-day ‘digital arrest’ cyber scam

The victim, whose family runs a furniture business, received a call on January 5 from individuals posing as police officials, according to investigators familiar with the case.

They falsely claimed that a SIM card issued in her name was linked to money laundering. “The accused introduced themselves as police officials and told the woman that her name was used recently to issue a SIM card, which they said was used for money laundering and other illegal activities,” said a police officer, who asked not to be identified.

After initial denials, the scammers escalated their threats, warning of imminent arrest. “They took advantage of this situation and started monitoring her on video call all day,” the police officer cited above said.

During the video call, the woman, fearing arrest, revealed to the scammers that she lived alone and disclosed that her children lived in Australia and Gurugram, police said. The fraudsters then used this information to psychologically control her, prohibiting contact with her family.

“They took advantage of this situation and started monitoring her on video call all day,” the officer explained. The scammers directed her to transfer funds using a second phone. Between January 9 and 12, she made three major transactions totalling ₹6.9 crore – ₹4 crore, ₹1.6 crore, and ₹1.3 crore – withdrawing money from her savings and fixed deposits. The accused also forced her to delete all call logs and chat histories.

The crime was uncovered on Tuesday when her family contacted her. They subsequently approached the Delhi Police, which registered an FIR on Wednesday.

Deputy commissioner of police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar confirmed that the investigation is underway. “The woman sent money to the accused over three to four days. We have lodged an FIR… The accounts seem to be new and it looks like they haven’t been used in any other cases”

This case is part of a rise in “digital arrest” scams, where fraudsters pose as law enforcement, fabricate serious charges, and use threats of immediate arrest to extort money.

On January 12, an NRI doctor couple in the same neighbourhood reported being cheated of nearly ₹15 crore after being held under a similar digital arrest for 16 days. No arrests have been made in either case as investigations continue.