A 64-year-old retired officer from Dheera tehsil in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district was allegedly kept under "digital arrest" for nearly a month and cheated of ₹33 lakh by cyber fraudsters posing as officials from a telecommunications company, the police, and the CBI. The fraudsters allegedly threatened to implicate him in a ₹6.8 crore money laundering case, using the fear of arrest to keep him under sustained pressure throughout the ordeal.
How the Scam Began
According to a complaint registered with Cyber Crime Police Station Dharamshala, the victim received a phone call on July 30. The caller claimed a bank account had been opened using his Aadhaar card, and that this account had been used for transactions linked to a ₹6.8 crore money laundering case.
Another fraudster then allegedly posed as an IPS officer, claiming an arrest warrant had already been issued against the retired officer, and demanded ₹70 lakh as a "commission" to settle the matter. A third person, posing as a CBI officer, allegedly pretended to keep the victim under surveillance, claiming two people had been deployed specifically for his "security", a manipulative framing designed to make constant monitoring feel protective rather than coercive.
Nearly a Month Under Pressure
The victim was allegedly instructed to provide updates every one to two hours, and to inform the fraudsters whenever he left or returned home, effectively isolating him and keeping him in a near-constant state of anxiety. The accused also allegedly used the pretext of "checking" his bank account and mobile phone to persuade him to transfer money into a designated account.
Under this sustained pressure, the retired officer transferred ₹4 lakh via RTGS on August 12, followed by another ₹29 lakh on August 20, to accounts provided by the fraudsters. The alleged intimidation continued for nearly a month, until the morning of August 28, when the phone and video calls suddenly stopped altogether. It was only then that the victim realised he'd been cheated.
What Comes Next
Police have registered a case under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, with further investigation underway.
How to Stay Safe From Digital Arrest Scams
Police have advised people not to trust callers who pose as officers and threaten arrest over the phone. Demands for money framed around an ongoing investigation or "avoiding arrest" should be treated with immediate suspicion, no legitimate law enforcement agency conducts investigations or resolves arrest warrants over a phone call demanding payment.
Never transfer money simply because a caller threatens arrest or claims to be conducting an investigation, and never share OTPs, ATM PINs, complete bank account details, or passwords with unknown callers under any circumstance. If you suspect you're being targeted, preserve any suspicious phone numbers, bank details, chat messages, and transaction receipts connected to the interaction, and always verify claims independently through official channels, rather than following instructions given by a threatening caller.
FAQs
Q1. How much money did the victim lose, and over what period?
₹33 lakh, transferred in two instalments (₹4 lakh on August 12 and ₹29 lakh on August 20) over nearly a month of alleged digital arrest intimidation.
Q2. How did the fraudsters allegedly maintain pressure on the victim?
By posing as police, an IPS officer, and a CBI official, claiming he was under investigation for a ₹6.8 crore money laundering case, and requiring hourly updates to simulate constant surveillance.
Q3. When did the victim realise he'd been scammed?
On the morning of August 28, when the fraudsters' calls suddenly stopped entirely.
Q4. What should someone do if they receive a similar threatening call?
Never transfer money or share banking details based on threats over the phone, and independently verify any claims of investigation or arrest through official channels before taking any action.