Couple looted of ₹14cr in two-week-long digi arrest

An elderly couple in Greater Kailash was scammed out of ₹14.85 crore in a "digital arrest" fraud after being threatened by a caller posing as law enforcement.

Published on: Jan 11, 2026, 04:16:12 IST

By Hemani Bhandari

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

An elderly couple in Greater Kailashhas been duped of ₹14.85 crore within around 15 days in a “digital arrest” fraud, police said on Saturday.

Couple looted of ₹14cr in two-week-long digi arrest

According to police, the victims were in the United States for 48 years and worked with the United Nations until retiring and returning to India in 2015.

The couple told police that on December 24, they received a call and the caller posed as a law enforcement official. “The caller threatened them with arrest warrants and criminal cases, invoking stringent laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and even citing ‘national security’ to instil fear,” an investigator of the case said.

The caller got the couple on a video call after threatening them with police cases. The victims were under “digital arrest” until Saturday (January 10) morning.

“During this period, the woman was instructed to transfer money into eight different bank accounts. Around ₹2 crore were transferred each time, eventually totalling ₹14.85 crore,” the officer said.

The woman told police that the fraudsters closely monitored her movements. Whenever she needed to step out or make a call, they would video-call her husband to ensure she was not informing anyone about the scam. “Even when bank officials questioned the large transfers, she told them a false narrative taught to her by the fraudsters,” the officer said.

Finally, on January 10, the callers told her to approach the nearest police station, claiming that after she files a complaint the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will return her money.

As soon as the couple reached the police station, the fraudsters allegedly misbehaved with the officers over video call and disconnected.

A case has been registered at the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police and they are probing the case.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hemani Bhandari
Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!

Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.