Elderly Couple Duped in Elaborate 'Digital Arrest' Scam

In a brazen case of cyber fraud, a 78-year-old man from Nizamabad, Telangana, and his wife found themselves ensnared in a trap laid by tricksters masquerading as Mumbai Police. For 50 hours, the elderly couple was under 'digital arrest', a term used to describe the state of being intimidated through digital means by fraudsters.

The conmen falsely alleged the man's Aadhaar was linked to a bank account involved in money laundering, threatening the couple and forcing the man into transferring over Rs 30 lakh. To lend credibility to their plot, they sent fabricated notices allegedly from the Supreme Court, CBI, TRAI, and RBI.

Within a hair's breadth of deeper financial ruin, the man was saved by a friend's timely intervention, which alerted authorities. Thanks to swift action by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, Rs 20 lakh of the stolen amount was held from transfer, offering a glimpse of relief as investigations continue to apprehend the perpetrators.

(With inputs from agencies.)