The Cyber Crime Cell of South West Delhi Police has busted a sophisticated cyber fraud racket involving a chilling new modus operandi known as ‘Digital Arrest’. In this case, scammers impersonated high-ranking government officials and kept a retired government officer under virtual captivity for over three days, defrauding him of Rs 48.5 lakh.
The victim, identified as Baliram, a retired officer, was contacted via WhatsApp on March 2, 2025, by a person posing as “Deepak Sharma” from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller falsely claimed that Baliram’s Aadhaar had been misused in a money laundering case in Mumbai. Within minutes, he was connected to imposters masquerading as officials from the Mumbai Police, CBI, and even a fake Supreme Court judge, all through continuous video calls.
According to Delhi Police, the victim was subjected to psychological pressure, kept in isolation, and manipulated into liquidating all his savings — including Fixed Deposits and PPF accounts. The funds were then transferred to bank accounts presented as being “under Supreme Court supervision”. Investigations later revealed these accounts belonged to shell companies created with forged documents for the sole purpose of laundering cybercrime proceeds.
Three individuals have been arrested so far. Police have recovered three mobile phones and several incriminating documents. Technical analysis and tracking of the money trail revealed links to at least 28 similar complaints lodged across different states on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ NCRP portal.
Investigators uncovered a deeper network involving international links, including IP addresses traced to Hong Kong. The scam was reportedly supported by a structured syndicate comprising tech handlers, local recruiters, and account operators.
