How 85-Year-Old Man Lost Rs 9 Crore In 'Digital Arrest' In Mumbai

The accused placed him under a so-called "digital arrest," falsely accusing him of money laundering and terror financing, and coerced him into transferring the funds to multiple bank accounts.

24 Dec 2025, 10:50 · www.ndtv.com

Mumbai:

A major cyber fraud has been reported from Mumbai, where an 85-year-old man from Mumbai's Thakurdwar area was cheated of nearly Rs 9 crore by fraudsters posing as police officers. The accused placed him under a so-called “digital arrest,” falsely accusing him of money laundering and terror financing, and coerced him into transferring the funds to multiple bank accounts.

The elderly victim, in his complaint to the police, stated that he lives in Thakurdwar with his family. His elder daughter lives with him, while his younger daughter lives in the United States.

On November 28, 2025, the victim received a call on his mobile phone. The caller identified himself as Inspector Deepak Sharma from the Panchavati Police Station in Nashik. He claimed that a bank account had been opened in the victim's name using his Aadhaar card, and that this account was being used for large-scale money laundering. Furthermore, the caller falsely claimed that money had been sent from this account to a banned organization like the Popular Front of India.

The fraudster also stated that the CBI Crime Branch and a Special Investigation Team were investigating the matter and that a case would soon be registered against him.

Following this, the victim received a video call on WhatsApp. The caller, wearing a police uniform, assured him that if he cooperated with the investigation, the real culprits would be arrested. The fraudsters also said that he didn't need to come to the police station because an e-investigation was underway under the "Digital India" initiative.

The victim was told that he was now "digitally arrested" and could not tell any relatives about the situation. Under fear and mental pressure, the elderly man shared all his bank details, account balances, and information related to his mutual funds, stock market investments, and fixed deposits.

The fraudsters claimed to have sent fake documents in the name of the Supreme Court of India and the RBI. It was stated that to get out of this case, the entire amount invested in mutual funds, shares, and fixed deposits would have to be deposited in court, which would be returned with interest upon completion of the investigation.

Fearing this, the victim liquidated his investments and transferred a total of Rs 9 crore through RTGS on different dates between December 1 and December 17, 2025, to accounts in various banks (ICICI, IndusInd, Axis, Yes Bank).

The case came to light due to the vigilance of a bank employee.

On December 22, 2025, the fraudsters asked the victim to transfer another Rs 3 crore to a different account. When the victim went to the Bank of India's Girgaon branch, the bank employees stopped the transaction and asked him to call his relatives. That's when the family learned about the entire matter, and the fraud was exposed.

Following this, the victim filed a complaint with the cybercrime helpline 1930.

The victim has alleged that a man named Deepak Sharma, who identified himself as a police officer, and his associates defrauded him of Rs 9 crore by making false accusations, instilling fear of arrest, and threatening digital arrest. He has demanded strict legal action against all the concerned bank account holders and beneficiaries of the transferred funds.

The police have registered a case and started an investigation.

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