A retired man in Madurai rural district has been scammed under the threat of digital arrest and forced to deposit as much as ₹68 lakh from his bank account and that of his wife into different bank accounts in November.
The callers had kept the senior citizen under constant threat claiming that a fake bank account opened in his name had lots of illegal transactions running into several crores of rupees.
“The first call was received from a stranger who called himself to be from the Department of Telecommunication. After some enquiry, he had put the elderly man in a conference call with ‘Mumbai Police’,” said Superintendent of Police B.K. Arvind.
Later, they made a video call and declared that the man has been digitally arrested for illegal transactions through an account in his name.
Even as the man trembled, the callers warned him not to disclose the new development with anyone.
Slowly, the strangers forced the man to divulge personal details with them, including various bank accounts of the man and his wife.
“Then, in the guise of verifying his bank details, they forced him to transfer all money in the couple’s bank accounts. They even made the man close a few fixed deposits and transfer the money,” Mr. Arvind said.
After having lost ₹68 lakh, the victim, acting under the instruction of the fraudsters, again tried to close a few other fixed deposits.
Only when the manager of the bank enquired him, did the man realise that he had been cheated by tricksters.
“We have arrested 10 persons from Gudalur in the Nilgris district and Kerala in this connection. These people allowed their bank accounts to be operated by strangers for a commission,” the SP said.
The police have recovered only a small portion of the ₹68 lakh lost by the victim. Further investigation to trace the scamsters is under way.
The SP appealed to the people not to respond to any such calls of “digital arrest” but abruptly disconnect the call and immediately alert the local police.
“There is no such procedure called digital arrest,” Mr. Arvind said.
People can also lodge complaint to Cyber Crime Police by calling 1930 immediately, if they had lost any money.
Published – December 26, 2025 07:47 pm IST
