Retired Delhi engineer loses ₹10 crore in 'digital arrest' scam
Cybercriminals allegedly extorted ₹10 crore from a 72-year-old retired engineer in Delhi, keeping him under "digital arrest" for eight hours. The victim, residing in Rohini Sector 10 with his wife, reported the crime to the cyber cell, which has since registered an FIR and frozen ₹60 lakh. Police suspect the perpetrators were overseas callers assisted by local associates who gathered details about the victim. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation.
Fraudsters impersonate police, coerce victim into transferring funds
A retired engineer received a phone call claiming a parcel in his name had been intercepted at Mumbai airport. The caller alleged the package, sent from Taiwan, contained drugs, reports said. He further warned the man that officials from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch would contact him for further questioning.
Delhi Police's Cyber Cell initiates investigation into scam
As per the complaint, the victim was instructed to download Skype for a video call. During this call, he was kept under "digital arrest" for about eight hours. The cybercriminals coerced him into transferring ₹10.3 crore across multiple accounts. The caller also threatened to target his two children living abroad if he refused to comply. After the ordeal, the victim informed his family, who approached the police in early October to report the incident. .
International callers suspected in scam, similar cases reported
Authorities suspect international callers pulled off this scam with help from their associates in India who gave details of the victim. This is not an isolated case as similar scams have targeted senior citizens in the past. In July, another elderly south Delhi resident lost ₹83 lakh in a similar scheme. The increase in such cases calls for more vigilance and awareness about cybercrimes, especially among vulnerable groups like senior citizens.
