An 85-year-old Mumbai resident was duped of ₹1.27 crore in a sophisticated “digital arrest” cyber fraud in which criminals posed as law enforcement and central agency officials. The case, which relied on psychological intimidation rather than technical hacking, has led to one arrest, while investigations into the broader network continue.
The victim, a retired employee of a reputed scientific institution residing in Andheri (Juhu–Versova Link Road), received a call in October 2025 from a person claiming to be linked to the Bengaluru police. He was falsely accused of involvement in a ₹75 lakh money-laundering case allegedly under joint investigation by the Delhi Police and the CBI.
The fraudsters escalated the pressure by threatening arrest and warning of legal consequences for his family, including potential impact on his son’s employment. Another caller, posing as a CBI official, initiated a video call and displayed forged FIR documents and an arrest warrant to make the threat appear legitimate.
Under sustained fear, the victim transferred ₹1.27 crore between December 2 and 10 to accounts provided by the scammers, believing the funds were for “verification” and would be returned.
When the callers vanished, a friend alerted him to the fraud, prompting a cybercrime complaint. Police traced the funds to an account held by Parshuram Dashrath Jagtap, who has been arrested for allegedly facilitating the transfers.
Authorities reiterated that no law enforcement agency conducts arrests or demands money via phone or video calls and urged citizens, especially senior citizens, to report such threats immediately.
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