A 65-year-old retired bank employee from Rajasthan’s Sikar was allegedly defrauded of Rs 55 lakh after cyber criminals trapped him in a fake “digital arrest” and threatened to implicate him in a fabricated money laundering case.
According to Cyber Police Station SHO Mukesh Kumar, the victim, Mahavir Prasad Sharma, received a WhatsApp video call from a man posing as a Delhi Police officer. The caller claimed that a SIM card registered in Sharma’s name had been used to send objectionable messages and was linked to multiple criminal cases.
When Sharma denied the allegations, the fraudsters escalated the intimidation. They allegedly impersonated officials from agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and even posed as police officers and a Supreme Court judge during staged video calls featuring fake court proceedings. The victim was warned that he would face legal action unless he cooperated.
Police said the scammers kept Sharma on continuous WhatsApp video calls for nearly two days, instructing him not to contact his family or anyone else, citing national security. Fearing arrest and under immense psychological pressure, he transferred Rs 55 lakh in two instalments to bank accounts provided by the accused.
The scam was uncovered only after Sharma’s son noticed his unusual behaviour and intervened. A case has been registered, and investigators are analysing the WhatsApp call records and mobile numbers used in the fraud. However, the accused reportedly switched off all the numbers after receiving the money.
Police said Sikar district recorded 19 cyber fraud cases between January and June this year, with victims collectively losing more than Rs 1.5 crore.
Cyber police have reiterated that there is no legal concept of a “digital arrest.” Citizens have been urged not to transfer money or share OTPs, passwords or banking details with anyone claiming to represent law enforcement agencies. Anyone who suspects cyber fraud should immediately report it by calling the national cybercrime helpline at 1930.
