Retired Delhi official loses ₹2.19cr to cyber scam; 5 arrested
A 78-year-old retired government official from Delhi was tricked out of over ₹2.19 crore by scammers posing as police, CBI, and customs officials.
The fraudsters—operating from Cambodia—used fake arrest threats, WhatsApp video calls, and constant pressure to convince him his Aadhaar was misused for money laundering.
Over nine days, they kept him under virtual house arrest and made him transfer his assets into specified/RBI-mandated accounts for "verification," with false promises that the money would be returned.
How police cracked the case
The victim registered an e-FIR on December 5.
Investigators followed digital clues and bank trails, leading to the arrest of five men in India: Dipesh Patidar (30), Anshul Rathod (28), Shyam Babu Gupta (36), Raghvendra Verma (25), and Devesh Singh (26).
Police seized phones, debit cards, cheque books, stamps, and Aadhaar copies linked to the scam; investigations into possible international links and money-laundering are ongoing.