The ugly spectre of ‘digital arrests’ continues to haunt Indians. In the latest instance, scammers posing as TRAI officials have duped a retired bank manager of Rs 1.29 crore after holding him under ‘digital arrest’ for two days.
The scammers, who are still at large, claimed that a SIM card issued in the victim’s name was being used illegally. They also threatened to arrest the retired bank manager, who resides in Greater Noida, if he did not co-operate.
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To convince the victim, they also showed a fake courtroom on the video call. The ‘digital arrest’ reached its climax when the scammers sought Rs 1.29 crore from the victim under the pretext of verifying his personal details.
When the victim realised what had transpired for 48 hours, he lodged an FIR with the Cyber Crime Police in Greater Noida. Cyber crime officials said that they will investigate the matter further.
RISING CASES OF ‘DIGITAL ARRESTS’
In this scam, cyber fraudsters contact targeted individuals through calls, SMS, or social media platforms. They pretend to be law enforcement officials and falsely accuse victims of crimes such as money laundering, identity theft, or other serious crimes.
Victims are then threatened with immediate “digital arrest” unless they comply with demands. As the conversation progresses, scammers attempt to extort money or personal information from unsuspecting individuals.
At least two big cases of ‘digital arrests’ have come to the fore this year.
A 70-year-old woman in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun was held under ‘digital arrest’, which led to her losing Rs 3.09 crore. After facing the ordeal for several weeks, she lodged a complaint with the local police in February 2026.
In Delhi, an elderly NRI doctor couple was cheated of Rs 14.85 crore in a prolonged cyber fraud in which scammers kept them under ‘digital arrest’ for over two weeks in January 2026.
Authorities have repeatedly urged citizens not to panic over such calls and to verify any claims directly with official agencies before transferring money.
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Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Mar 18, 2026 13:20 IST
