Retired officer loses ₹90L to cyber fraud posing as police

India Jan 02, 2026

A 73-year-old retired Finance Department officer in Lucknow, Amarjeet Singh, lost ₹90 lakh after cybercriminals pretended to be Mumbai Cyber Crime Cell officers.
They accused him of money laundering over video calls, sent fake warrants on WhatsApp, and kept him isolated for 25 days by threatening his family.

Scam uncovered and bigger picture

Singh's son, Amarpreet, who works in Bengaluru, discovered the scam on December 25 and quickly alerted Lucknow Cyber Police.
Investigators traced the stolen money across multiple states and managed to freeze ₹15 lakh.
This case highlights a huge surge in "digital arrest" scams—cases have increased significantly and losses have soared over time, even though "digital arrest" isn't a real legal term in India.