Elderly woman loses ₹20 crore to 'digital arrest' fraud; 3 held

Elderly woman loses ₹20 crore to 'digital arrest' fraud; police arrest three suspects in Mumbai cybercrime case.

An 86-year-old woman from south Mumbai lost more than ₹20 crore of her savings over two months to a 'digital arrest' fraud, police said on Thursday (March 20, 2025).

One of the fraudsters posed as a 'CBI officer' to extort money from the woman, they said, adding three persons have been arrested in connection with the crime which took place between December 26, 2024 and March 3 this year.

The accused persons had also forced the victim to stay at home for two months and to check her location daily by calling her every three hours, an official said.

The cyber police have managed to freeze ₹77 lakh belonging to the woman by identifying the bank accounts to which the money was transferred, he added.

'Digital arrest' is a new and growing form of cyber fraud in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or personnel of government agencies, and intimidate victims through audio/video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on the victims to make payment.

As per the police complaint filed by the woman earlier this month, she had received a call from a man, who claimed to be a CBI officer, and told her that based on her Aadhaar card, a bank account was opened which was used for money laundering.

The man then told her that the case was being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and she should stay in her room, while threatening her with "digital arrest". He also threatened to arrest her children, the official said.