The Maharashtra Cyber Police has facilitated the refund of Rs 2 crore to the victim in one of India’s largest “digital arrest” fraud cases, officials said on Friday. The amount marks the first recovery in a case in which a 72-year-old Mumbai businessman was allegedly cheated of Rs 58.13 crore by an organised cyber fraud network. The scam took place in October last year.
Officials claim that sustained investigation, advanced financial tracking, timely legal intervention, and coordination with banks and judicial authorities made the refund possible. Officials said the recovery has also provided significant emotional relief to the victim.
How scam unfolded
According to the police, the accused posed as senior officials from law enforcement agencies and central investigating bodies such as the Mumbai Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and telecom authorities and made repeated phone and video calls to the victim.
They also displayed fake identity cards and official-looking documents and used backdrops resembling government offices to make the deception appear credible.
The fraudsters gradually built psychological pressure by warning the victim that his mobile number, bank accounts, and financial transactions were under surveillance for alleged links to money laundering and other serious offences. He was allegedly told that failure to “cooperate” would lead to immediate arrest, public embarrassment, and attachment of assets.
Under sustained intimidation, the victim was instructed to transfer funds to multiple bank accounts purportedly for “verification” and “safe custody” as part of the so-called investigation. Over time, he transferred money in several tranches across different accounts, eventually losing Rs 58.13 crore.
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