Gwalior man loses ₹2.5cr in digital 'arrest' scam
A 90-year-old retired Air Force doctor from Gwalior, Narayan Mahadev, lost ₹2.5 crore after cybercriminals pretended to be government investigators and accused him of being involved in illegal activities.
Over nearly a month starting January 25, they threatened him with arrest and pressured him into transferring money to multiple accounts.
Scammers kept him under video surveillance
The scammers kept Mahadev under video surveillance and told him not to contact his family, claiming it was confidential.
Using his age and isolation against him, they convinced him to keep sending money until the loss reached ₹2.5 crore.
How the scam came to light
Bank officials noticed the unusually large transactions and questioned Mahadev, which exposed the scam.
After he reported it to the police, a case was registered and an investigation is now underway.
Digital 'arrest' scams on the rise
These types of digital "arrest" scams are becoming more common across India—they made up 9% of 2025's ₹22,495 crore cyber losses and were part of over 28 lakh reported cases in 2025.
Between April 2021 and November 2025, total losses from such scams are reported as ₹54,000 crore.