Retired engineer duped of Rs 10 cr via ‘digital arrest’

New Delhi: A 72-year-old retired engineer from Rohini, fell victim to an elaborate cyber fraud, losing over Rs 10 crore after being held under “digital arrest” for eight hours. The police were informed about the incident through a complaint registered at the Cyber Police Station Rohini.

According to the police reports, the incident was reported to police in early October, is now under investigation by the Delhi Police Cyber Cell and the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) wing.

The fraud began when the victim received a call about a parcel allegedly intercepted at Mumbai airport. The caller claimed the package, addressed to the victim, contained banned drugs.

The victim was then connected to imposters posing as Mumbai Police Crime Branch officials, who coerced him into downloading Skype for a video call.

During the eight-hour video interaction, the fraudsters pressured the victim to transfer Rs 10.3 crore to multiple accounts, citing threats to his family. The retired engineer’s son resides in Dubai, and his daughter lives in Singapore. Fearful for their safety, the victim complied with the demands.

After the incident, the victim confided in his family, who immediately approached the police. An FIR was registered, and preliminary investigations revealed that the scam involved overseas callers with local accomplices providing critical information about the target.

In a breakthrough, police managed to freeze Rs 60 lakh of the stolen amount as it was being funnelled through multiple bank accounts. A dedicated team of cybercrime experts is now working to trace the remaining funds and identify the culprits.

“This was a meticulously planned operation. We suspect international syndicates are behind it,” an investigating officer stated.