Retired employee trapped in 15-day digital arrest:Fraudsters posed as CBI officers, victim broke wife’s four FDs, lost ₹22 lakh

A retired employee of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHE) in Maihar district has allegedly been cheated out of ₹22 lakh in a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam. The fraudsters, posing as officials from the Delhi Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), allegedly kept 69-year-old Manendra Singh under constant psychological pressure and virtual surveillance for 15 days. During this period, they convinced him to prematurely withdraw four fixed deposits (FDs), including those held jointly with his wife, and transfer the money to accounts controlled by the scammers. Fraudsters claimed his name was linked to money laundering Manendra Singh, a retired timekeeper from the Public Health Engineering Department and a resident of Itma Kothar village, received a phone call on the evening of May 5. The caller, identifying herself as Aditi Sharma, claimed to be an official from the Delhi Telecommunications Department. She allegedly informed Singh that a bank account operating in Delhi under his name had been used in a money-laundering operation involving millions of rupees. Threatened with arrest if he did not reach Delhi The caller allegedly warned Singh that he would be arrested if he failed to reach Delhi within two hours. When the elderly man explained that his age and poor health made such travel impossible, he was connected to two other individuals. One introduced himself as IPS officer Sunil Kumar Gautam, while the other claimed to be Pradeep Singh, a CBI team leader. The fraudsters instructed Singh not to speak to anyone about the matter and to keep the alleged investigation confidential. Fearing arrest and public embarrassment, he complied with their instructions. During this period, the scammers also obtained details of his bank accounts and fixed deposits. Victim kept under constant monitoring According to the complaint, the fraudsters maintained continuous contact with Singh through WhatsApp calls for nearly two weeks. They allegedly required him to send the message “WE ARE SAFE” every hour to prove that he was following their instructions and had not informed anyone about the case. Police believe this tactic was used to monitor his movements and isolate him from family members and friends. Fake central bank letter used to secure transfer On May 18, Singh prematurely withdrew four fixed deposits held in his and his wife Pushpa Singh’s names and deposited ₹22.69 lakh into a bank account as instructed. The following day, the fraudsters allegedly sent him a forged letter purportedly issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s central bank. Citing an ongoing investigation, they convinced him to transfer ₹22 lakh through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), an electronic funds transfer system, to the account of a private company. Demand for more money raised suspicion Even after the transfer, the promised refund never arrived. However, the fraudsters remained in contact. On May 23, they allegedly demanded an additional ₹8 lakh, claiming it was required for further verification of his assets. They also advised him to pawn or mortgage household jewellery to raise the money. This demand finally raised Singh’s suspicions. He informed his family about the entire episode, and relatives immediately identified it as a cyber fraud. Police register criminal case, cyber investigation underway The victim first approached police with an oral complaint on May 25. He then collected transaction details from the bank before filing a formal written complaint on June 1. Based on the complaint, Amarpatan police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on June 2 against individuals identified as Aditi Sharma, Sunil Kumar Gautam and Pradeep Singh. The case has been registered under charges related to fraud, criminal conspiracy and violations of the Information Technology Act. On the instructions of Superintendent of Police Avdhesh Pratap Singh, the cybercrime unit is now investigating the mobile phone numbers, bank accounts and financial transactions linked to the alleged fraudsters. Growing concern over ‘digital arrest’ scams The case is the latest in a series of “digital arrest” scams reported across India, where fraudsters impersonate police officers, investigators or government officials, falsely accuse victims of financial crimes, and use intimidation tactics to extort money. Authorities continue to urge citizens to independently verify such claims and immediately report suspicious calls to cybercrime helplines or local police.