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How a 92-year-old Noida man lost ₹1.02 crore in a ‘digital arrest’ scam
In two separate incidents, a 92-year-old Noida professor fell victim to a five-day “digital arrest” scam, while a 55-year-old Nagpur man lost ₹1.4 crore.
A 92-year-old retired professor found himself trapped in a digital nightmare, as fraudsters posing as CBI officers placed him under a five-day “digital arrest,” manipulating him into transferring ₹1.02 crore, his life savings.
Police said the elderly man, residing in Noida Sector 30, received a call on August 26 from someone claiming to be a telecom executive, which soon led to repeated WhatsApp messages accusing him of money laundering.
“I started receiving multiple WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers accusing me of being involved in money laundering,” the victim said in his complaint.
Claiming to be CBI officials, the fraudsters instructed him to transfer his savings to accounts they controlled. “I was contacted by someone claiming to be the CBI director, who compelled me to transfer money for the purported investigation, assuring that it would be returned within 23 days. I was strictly instructed not to disclose it to anyone, including my family,” the FIR added.
The victim’s ordeal came to light only when his nephew, residing on the upper floor of the same home, noticed his distress. Following this, the man lodged a report with the National Cyber Reporting Portal.
Cybercrime Branch SHO Ranjeet Singh confirmed that a case has been registered under sections for cheating, cheating by personation, and extortion of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act. “Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are underway to recover the money,” he said.
Nagpur man loses ₹1.4 crore in cryptocurrency scam
Meanwhile, in Nagpur, a 55-year-old resident lost over ₹1.4 crore after falling for a cryptocurrency scam. On July 25, he came across an advertisement promising high returns and was redirected to a fake trading website, The Free Press Journal reported, citing police officials.
Following instructions from a scammer posing as a trading expert, he initially invested ₹1 lakh and soon received ₹4.5 lakh in his bank account, convincing him the platform was legitimate.
Between July 11 and August 19, he transferred ₹1.4 crore across multiple bank accounts. When he later tried to withdraw his supposed profits, the scammers demanded additional money as “taxes.”
Realising he had been duped, he approached the police, who registered a case under sections for cheating and forgery of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the report added.
