A retired Indian Railways employee in Delhi’s Dwarka lost Rs 30 lakh after cyber fraudsters posing as ATS, NIA and RBI officials falsely linked him to the November 2025 Red Fort blast investigation.
The accused allegedly contacted the retired employee through phone calls and WhatsApp video calls, claiming that his name had surfaced in a terror funding and money laundering case. They threatened him with arrest and subjected him to prolonged psychological intimidation.
To make their claims appear genuine, the fraudsters allegedly sent forged documents, including fake confidentiality agreements, RBI confirmations and legalisation bonds. The victim was instructed to remain isolated and was continuously monitored through calls and video conferences.
The scammers also obtained details of his bank accounts, fixed deposits and other assets before allegedly forcing him to liquidate his funds and transfer the money to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Following a complaint filed on December 9, 2025, the Crime Branch’s AGS team in Dwarka arrested Sunil Singla, a resident of Fatehabad, Haryana, in connection with the interstate cyber fraud network.
Police found that Rs 15 lakh of the cheated amount was transferred to a bank account in the name of Shri Balaji Tractor, which was operated by Singla. The account was reportedly linked to seven other cyber fraud cases.
The case highlights a growing tactic used by digital arrest scammers: exploiting high-profile terror investigations to create fear and pressure victims into transferring their savings. Similar scams have previously invoked the Pulwama and Pahalgam terror attacks.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that no genuine government agency conducts investigations, arrests or demands money through WhatsApp video calls or by keeping citizens under “digital arrest”.
