Overview
- A 60-year-old Agripada resident was kept on video calls through the night by callers posing as TRAI and Delhi Police officials and was told he faced a money-laundering case.
- Fraudsters displayed fake letterheads for agencies such as the Anti-Corruption Branch and the Directorate of Enforcement and sent a bogus Supreme Court notice during a staged online hearing.
- The victim was instructed to transfer ₹53 lakh to a nationalised bank account, realized the fraud when more money was demanded, called 1930, and filed a case with the Central Region Cyber police station.
- Police describe this as a 'digital arrest' tactic in which criminals impersonate authorities to threaten legal action and force payments or credentials through prolonged control over calls.
- Recent reports highlight heightened risk for seniors, including an 82-year-old in Maharashtra who reportedly lost ₹1.19 crore, as the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of a similar ₹1.05 crore extortion in Ambala.