Senior citizen duped of ₹1.57 Crore in ‘Digital Arrest’ scam, one held

A 69-year-old retired professional from Andheri was allegedly defrauded of ₹1.57 crore in a sophisticated “digital arrest” cyber scam, prompting police to arrest an autorickshaw driver who assisted the fraudsters in routing the money.

According to officials from the cyber cell of the West Region Division , the incident dates back to December last year when the victim received a call from an individual accusing him of circulating obscene content online. The caller allegedly posed as a law enforcement officer and threatened immediate arrest.

The victim was subsequently contacted by others impersonating police personnel. To intensify the deception, the accused reportedly staged a fake virtual courtroom proceeding, creating an illusion of legal action against him . Under sustained pressure and fear of arrest, the senior citizen was instructed to transfer his savings to multiple “official” accounts as part of a purported investigation.

Trusting the instructions, the victim transferred ₹1.57 crore. Communication from the accused ceased soon after the transactions were completed.

Upon realising the fraud, the victim approached the police, who initiated an investigation and traced the financial trail. This led to the arrest of Ashok Pal, an autorickshaw driver, who allegedly allowed his bank account to be used for parking the defrauded funds in exchange for a commission.

Police officials said efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the cyber fraud network. The case highlights the growing threat of impersonation-based scams targeting vulnerable individuals through fear and psychological manipulation.