14cr 'digital arrest': 8 held for defrauding elderly NRI couple
What's the story
The Delhi Police has arrested eight men in connection with a ₹14.8 crore "digital arrest" scam that targeted an elderly NRI couple. The accused, who were arrested between January 15 and 21 from three different states, include an aspiring Chartered Accountant and a Varanasi-based pujari (Hindu priest). The investigation revealed that these educated men used their skills to defraud the elderly couple by posing as law enforcement officials on video calls.
Arrest details
Arrests made across multiple states
The first arrest was of Divyang Patel, a 30-year-old BCom graduate and CA aspirant, from Gujarat, on January 15. He was followed by Krutik Shitole, a 26-year-old IT diploma holder from New Zealand. Arun Kumar Tiwari, a private data-entry operator from Uttar Pradesh, was arrested next. Mahavir Sharma, a BCom graduate, and Pradyuman Tiwari were also nabbed in the investigation.
Ongoing probe
Final arrests and ongoing investigation
The last three arrests were made on January 21. Ankit Mishra, Bhupender Kumar Mishra, and Aadesh Kumar Singh were arrested in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. These men are believed to have worked as facilitators for an international syndicate operating from Cambodia and Nepal. The police have seized seven mobile phones and checkbooks during the operation. Further investigations are underway to identify other conspirators in this elaborate scam network.
Victim ordeal
Victims endure harrowing experience, scammers impersonate police
The victims of this scam, Om Taneja and his wife Indira, were subjected to constant video surveillance for over two weeks. The fraudsters impersonated police officers on a video call with Indira, displaying banners of "Colaba Police" to lend authenticity. They claimed her bank account was linked to a money laundering case and offered "digital verification at home" due to their claims of national security concerns.
Scam details
Scammers use mule accounts, victims lose ₹14.8 crore
Over 17 days, the couple was forced to transfer funds into "RBI-mandated accounts" through eight transactions. The ordeal ended on January 9 when the calls stopped, and they sought help from local police. By then, ₹14.8 crore had vanished from their accounts. Investigators believe that once primary accounts received cheated amounts, money moved into secondary accounts through micro-transactions to avoid detection by automated banking security triggers.
Legal intervention
Supreme Court takes notice of digital arrest scams
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of what it termed a national crisis, with nearly ₹3,000 crore siphoned off through "digital arrest" scams across India. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed shock at how even educated seniors fall victim to these scams. Recent cases have involved AI-generated deepfake videos and synthetic voices impersonating judges and senior officials.