An 81-year-old man from Hyderabad lost nearly ₹7 crore in a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam that unfolded over more than two months, beginning October 27, 2025, the Telangana Police confirmed on January 4, 2026. The elderly victim, a retired individual, was first contacted via WhatsApp by someone posing as a courier company representative. The caller claimed a parcel booked in the victim's name, en route from Mumbai to Bangkok, Thailand, had been intercepted and contained narcotics, passports, and a laptop—alleging his direct involvement in illegal activities. When the man denied any connection, the fraudsters escalated by transferring him to an impersonator claiming to be a senior Mumbai Police officer, who accused him of drug trafficking, money laundering, and terror financing.

Under the pretext of being placed under "digital arrest," the scammers isolated the victim psychologically and coerced him into a fake "financial verification" process. On October 29, they instructed him to download the Signal app, which they used for constant monitoring and intimidation. Over the following weeks, the fraudsters systematically drained his savings by first demanding ₹19.80 lakh as an initial "verification" transfer. They then pressured him to liquidate mutual funds and fixed deposits, resulting in a total loss of ₹7.12 crore. The victim was repeatedly assured that the money would be refunded once the fabricated investigation concluded. On December 29, the scammers made a final demand for an additional ₹1.2 crore to "close the case," which finally aroused suspicion. The man then read about similar "digital arrest" scams in newspapers and approached the police.

This case underscores the growing menace of digital arrest frauds, a tactic that exploits fear and isolation without any physical custody. Telangana Police and the Cyber Security Bureau have repeatedly clarified that "digital arrest" is not a legal procedure in India—no genuine law enforcement agency arrests individuals via video calls or demands money transfers, security deposits, or UPI payments to resolve cases. The fraudsters often use spoofed numbers, fake IDs, and high-pressure tactics to target vulnerable seniors. In a related incident in Hyderabad, a 76-year-old retired doctor died of a cardiac arrest after being extorted ₹6.5 lakh in a similar scam, highlighting the life-threatening risks involved.

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Despite a reported decline in overall cybercrime cases across Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda—from 20,574 in 2024 to 15,105 in 2025—the financial losses remain staggering, with victims in Telangana losing ₹1,866 crore to cyber fraud in 2024 alone. Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant, never share personal or financial details with unknown callers, and immediately report suspicions to the national cybercrime helpline (1930) or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Police emphasized that legitimate agencies never request money to "clear" names or cases, and any such demand is a clear indicator of fraud.

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