Dehradun: A senior woman from Almora in Uttarakhand was allegedly duped of Rs 1.20 crore by cybercriminals in a “digital arrest” scam, with the fraudsters keeping her on WhatsApp calls for nearly 12 days while threatening her with arrest and prosecution.
The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a man from West Bengal’s Malda district for allegedly helping the fraudsters receive and transfer the money siphoned off from the victim.
The accused, identified as Shantanu Das, is a resident of Gopalpur village in Malda. According to investigators, his bank account was allegedly used to receive the money transferred by the victim before the funds were moved to other accounts.
How The Fraud Took Place
The incident reportedly began in December 2025 when the woman received WhatsApp calls from individuals claiming to be officials of a telecom regulatory authority.
The callers allegedly told her that her Aadhaar details had been linked to a Canara Bank account that was being used for money laundering transactions worth nearly Rs 60 crore.
They further claimed that around 5,000 people had transferred money into the account and that thousands of FIRs had been registered against her.
Using these claims, the fraudsters allegedly threatened the woman with arrest and legal action. They then instructed her to remain connected with them through WhatsApp calls and warned her against speaking to her family, friends or the police.
The scammers allegedly maintained this pressure for nearly 12 days.
Victim Transfers Over Rs 1.20 Crore
The fraudsters subsequently told the woman that her bank accounts needed to be verified as part of the investigation.
Believing their claims, she was allegedly persuaded to transfer money to several bank accounts provided by the scammers.
According to the STF, the woman ultimately transferred a total of Rs 1,20,18,000.
She later approached the cybercrime police in January 2026 and reported the fraud.
STF Traces Bank Accounts And Digital Trail
Following the complaint, cybercrime investigators began examining the bank accounts, mobile numbers and WhatsApp profiles allegedly used in the operation.
The investigation involved gathering information from banks and telecom service providers, while details were also obtained from Meta to trace the digital accounts connected with the suspected fraud.
Analysis of the technical and financial trail eventually led investigators to one of the bank accounts allegedly used to receive the stolen money.
The account was traced to Shantanu Das in Malda. An STF team subsequently travelled to the district and arrested him.
STF Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said Das allegedly allowed his bank account to be used for receiving the proceeds of the cyber fraud. The money transferred by the victim was reportedly credited to his account before being quickly moved to other accounts.
Probe Into Wider Network Underway
The STF is now investigating the involvement of other individuals and account holders allegedly connected to the fraudulent transactions.
The case highlights how “digital arrest” scams exploit fear by impersonating law enforcement or government officials and threatening victims with arrest, prosecution or financial penalties unless they follow the scammers’ instructions.
Authorities have repeatedly warned people that legitimate government agencies do not conduct arrests through video or WhatsApp calls or demand that individuals transfer money to “verify” their bank accounts.
