An elderly couple from Chikhali in Pune district, both retired defence personnel, allegedly lost ₹76.22 lakh in a digital arrest scam after cybercriminals posing as police officers threatened them with arrest and a money laundering investigation.
The fraud took place between September 2 and 9. The 68-year-old woman lodged a complaint with the Pimpri Chinchwad cyber cell, stating that the fraudsters forced her and her husband to liquidate their fixed deposits, sell their gold jewellery and transfer their savings to multiple bank accounts.
According to the complaint, the woman received a video call from an unidentified number on September 2. The caller introduced himself as Mumbai Police Inspector Sandeep Rao and claimed that her Aadhaar details had been used to obtain a SIM card linked to around 50 police complaints.
The fraudster allegedly told her that an arrest warrant had been issued in her name and shared a document purportedly issued by the Supreme Court. He also claimed that she was implicated in an international money laundering case and had links to the banned Popular Front of India.
The caller allegedly threatened the couple with legal action, claimed their property had been seized and instructed the woman to keep her camera switched on at all times. He also warned them against contacting family members or anyone else.
Under the pretext of verifying their finances, the fraudster allegedly directed the woman to disclose details of their savings and jewellery before transferring the money to designated bank accounts.
Police said the complainant transferred ₹7.51 lakh on September 4, followed by ₹34.51 lakh and ₹34.20 lakh on September 7 through RTGS transactions. The money was sent to three bank accounts located in Odisha, Pune and Delhi.
The caller allegedly provided transaction receipts, claiming that the funds had been deposited into a government bank account. The woman realised she had been cheated after the suspect stopped responding.
The couple’s son, who served in the Indian Air Force, was martyred in 2018.
The Pimpri Chinchwad cyber cell has registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. An investigation is underway to trace the money and identify those involved.
