77-year-old Noida resident put under digital arrest for 16 days, loses ₹3.14 crore

The victim, who did not wish to be identified, is a retired functional director from the board of a government-owned insurance company

A 77-year-old man in Noida was put under digital arrest for 16 days from February 26 to March 12 and robbed of ₹3.14 crore on the pretext that he was linked to money laundering, police said on Thursday. Police said that a case of cheating was registered at the cybercrime branch police station on Wednesday afternoon against four unidentified suspects.

Police said that a case of cheating was registered at the cybercrime branch police station on Wednesday afternoon against four unidentified suspects. (Representational image)

The victim, who did not wish to be identified, is a retired functional director from the board of a government-owned insurance company and lives with his 71-year-old wife at a high-rise in Sector 75, and his children are settled abroad, said police.

In his police complaint, the victim said, “On February 25, I received a call from an unidentified number, and the caller enquired about a mobile number. I said I did not remember if it was my number as I had lost my old phone a long time ago. When I asked the reason for his call, the caller verified my name and said that a complaint related to money laundering and investment fraud was filed against me at a police station in Mumbai.”

The cybercriminal posing as a police officer asked the victim to appear before Mumbai Police for questioning. When the victim said that he is a senior citizen, the cybercriminal said he would handle the case online and directed the victim to be present on video call before the Chief Justice of India on February 26, said police.

“Posing as police and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, the cybercriminals inquired about all the victim’s financial details and directed him to not reveal the conversation to anyone as it was a matter of national security,” said Ranjeet Singh, station house officer, cybercrime branch.

“My wife and I were kept under strict surveillance by cameras from February 26 to March 12,” the FIR said, quoting the victim’s complaint.

SHO Singh said, “The victim transferred ₹3,14,59,966 to the cybercriminals through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) in multiple transactions after visiting his bank. The cybercriminals told him the money would be returned after a week of investigation, but when this did not happen, he realised that he had fallen into a trap.”

The victim approached the police and the case was reported to the National Cyber Crime Portal (NCRP), and a case under sections 308(2) (extortion), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act was registered at the cybercrime branch on Wednesday.

Cases of “digital arrest” have become common across NCR in the past few years.

A 74-year-old man, his wife, and daughter in Noida were allegedly put under digital arrest for five days from February 1 to 5 and duped of ₹1.08 crore. In another case, a 79-year-old Major General (retired) in Noida was put under digital arrest for five days between August 10 and 15, 2024, and ended up losing ₹2 crore.