The Uttarakhand Special Task Force has arrested a man from West Bengal's Malda district for allegedly helping cybercriminals defraud a senior woman from Almora of Rs 1.20 crore, through a "digital arrest" scam. The victim was allegedly kept connected to the fraudsters through WhatsApp calls for nearly 12 days and threatened with arrest and prosecution.
Fraudsters Claimed Aadhaar Was Linked to Rs 60 Crore Transactions
The victim lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police station in January 2026. She told police that unidentified people had contacted her through WhatsApp calls in December 2025, posing as officials of a telecom regulatory authority.
The callers allegedly told her that her Aadhaar card was linked to a Canara Bank account involved in money laundering transactions worth nearly Rs 60 crore. They further claimed that around 5,000 people had transferred money to the account, and that 5,000 FIRs containing information about her had been registered.
Using threats of arrest and prosecution, the fraudsters allegedly forced the woman to remain connected with them through WhatsApp calls for nearly 12 days. During this period, she was instructed not to contact her family members, friends, or the police. The fraudsters then allegedly persuaded her to transfer money to several accounts, on the pretext of verifying her bank accounts. Police said she eventually transferred a total of Rs 1,20,18,000.
Technical Evidence Leads STF to Malda Suspect
Following directions from senior STF officers, cybercrime police collected auditing services in India-style details of the bank accounts, mobile numbers, and WhatsApp profiles allegedly used in the offence. Investigators also obtained information from banks, telecom service providers, and Meta, systematically piecing together the digital and financial trail behind the fraud.
Analysis of this technical and digital evidence helped investigators trace one of the bank accounts and mobile numbers linked to the alleged fraud. After verifying the information, an STF team arrested Shantanu Das in Malda.
Das is a resident of Gopalpur village under the English Bazar police station area in Malda. He allegedly allowed his bank account to be used to receive and route proceeds from the cyber fraud. STF Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said money obtained from the victim was credited to Das's account and immediately transferred to other accounts.
Police Now Probing Other Accounts and Accused
Investigators are continuing to examine the financial trail and the alleged involvement of other people in these transactions. The STF said the role of other account holders and accused persons linked to the fraudulent transactions is being investigated, as authorities work to identify everyone involved in this wider operation.
FAQs
Q1. How much money did the senior woman lose in this digital arrest scam?
She transferred a total of Rs 1,20,18,000 after being threatened with arrest and prosecution over 12 days of WhatsApp calls.
Q2. What false claims did the fraudsters make against the victim?
The callers claimed her Aadhaar was linked to a Canara Bank account involved in money laundering worth nearly Rs 60 crore, and that 5,000 FIRs had been registered against her.
Q3. How did the STF trace and arrest the accused in Malda?
Investigators collected bank account, mobile number, and WhatsApp profile details, combined with information from banks, telecom providers, and Meta, which helped trace one bank account linked to Shantanu Das.