Retired Bank Manager and Wife Lose Rs 2.2 Crore to Cyber Fraudsters in Ghaziabad

An 84-year-old retired bank manager and his wife were allegedly defrauded of approximately Rs 2.2 crore in a sophisticated "digital arrest" cyber scam in Ghaziabad, police said. The elderly couple, residents of Ramprastha Greens Society in Vaishali, were reportedly kept under continuous virtual surveillance by fraudsters for 12 days after being falsely accused of involvement in a major bank embezzlement case. A police investigation has been launched to trace those behind the fraud.

According to officials, the scam began on May 22 when the victims received a WhatsApp video call from a man claiming to be an official associated with Delhi's Daryaganj. The caller allegedly informed retired bank manager Ram Prakash Hariya that his name had surfaced in connection with a Rs 538-crore Canara Bank embezzlement case dating back to 2023. The fraudsters then claimed the couple was under "digital arrest" and ordered them to remain on video calls for extended periods while the supposed investigation was underway.

To make the deception appear credible, the accused allegedly created a fake courtroom setting and subjected the couple to questioning for four to eight hours every day. They repeatedly threatened the victims with arrest and legal action unless they complied with their instructions. Under intense psychological pressure, the couple transferred money to multiple bank accounts. Hariya also reportedly borrowed money and took loans worth nearly Rs 70 lakh to meet the fraudsters' demands, bringing the total financial loss to around Rs 2.2 crore.

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The victims approached the police after realising they had been cheated, following which a case was registered. Officials said further investigation is underway to identify the accused and track the money trail. Police have once again urged the public to remain vigilant against "digital arrest" scams, stressing that no law enforcement agency conducts investigations or places individuals under arrest through video calls or demands money transfers to avoid legal action.

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