Hyderabad, 5 Jan : In one of the most significant cyber-fraud cases recorded in recent months, an 81-year-old retired businessman from Hyderabad was swindled of 7.12 crore rupees. The victim fell prey to a sophisticated digital arrest scheme where scammers impersonated law enforcement officials to extort his life savings.
The Fraudulent Accusation
The incident began on October 27, 2025, when the octogenarian received a WhatsApp call from an individual claiming to be an executive from the courier service, Bluedart. The caller informed the victim that a parcel sent in his name to Thailand had been seized by authorities. The package allegedly contained narcotics, counterfeit passports, and illegal credit cards.
Shortly after, the call was transferred to individuals posing as senior officers from the Mumbai Police. The victim was told he was a primary suspect in a high-profile case involving drug trafficking, money laundering, and potential ties to terror funding.
Psychological Tactics and Digital Arrest
The scammers employed a tactic known as digital arrest, a method used to isolate victims by forcing them to stay on a continuous video call. The elderly man was strictly instructed not to communicate with his family, lawyers, or bank officials, under the threat of immediate physical incarceration.
Trapped in a state of constant surveillance and extreme psychological duress, the victim was convinced that his only recourse was to transfer funds to government-sanctioned accounts for verification. The scammers promised that the money would be refunded once his name was cleared.
Financial Liquidation
Between October 29 and December 5, 2025, the victim liquidated his long-term investments, including mutual funds and fixed deposits. He executed several high-value transactions, cumulatively transferring 7.12 crore rupees into multiple bank accounts provided by the fraudsters.
Discovery and Investigation
The scam was finally detected on December 29, 2025, when the perpetrators demanded an additional 1.2 crore rupees as a case closure fee. Growing suspicious and recalling similar incidents reported in the media, the victim realized he was being defrauded.
He subsequently lodged a formal complaint with the Telangana Cybersecurity Bureau (TGCSB). Officials have since registered a case and initiated a technical investigation to track the money trail, which often leads to complex networks operating outside national borders.
A Nationwide Pattern
This case highlights a dangerous trend across India. A similar incident was recently reported in Ahmedabad, where an 82-year-old lost 7 crore rupees to a syndicate operating out of Cambodia.
The TGCSB has issued a public advisory emphasizing that no law enforcement agency in India conducts digital arrests via video calls, nor do they ever request the transfer of funds into private accounts for the purpose of clearance or verification.
