Educated Woman Duped of ₹10 Lakh Through “Digital Arrest” Scam; Three Cyber Fraudsters Caught After Three Months

Rohtak (Haryana): In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a well-educated woman from Rohtak was tricked into believing she had been “digitally arrested” in a fake money-laundering case, leading her to transfer ₹9.95 lakh to cyber criminals. Three months after the incident, police have now arrested the key accused, adding to the three arrests already made earlier in the case.

The Cyber Police Station initiated the investigation based on the complaint filed by Preeti, a resident of the PGIMS hostel. A case was registered on 22 August 2025 under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

It Began With a Call on 14 August

According to the complaint, Preeti received a phone call on 14 August from a man claiming to be an employee of “Telecom Authority of India.” The caller falsely informed her that her Aadhaar-linked mobile number was being misused to harass women and that her number would be blocked within two hours.

She was then given another phone number and asked to file a complaint regarding the alleged misuse of her Aadhaar identity. When she called the second number, she was told that her credit card and personal documents had been found in a money-laundering case, and that a case had been registered against her at Colaba Police Station, Mumbai.

Scammers Showed Fake Arrest Orders

The fraudsters used fear tactics and presented fake arrest orders, court documents, and seizure notices, threatening to freeze her bank account. On 18 August, she was told that her bank account money needed to be “verified” to check whether it had been used in money laundering.

Under pressure, Preeti transferred ₹9,95,000 to a bank account provided by the scammers. Even after the transfer, they kept demanding more money. Realizing she had been cheated, Preeti approached the police.

Police Investigation and Arrests

Kuldeep Singh, in-charge of the Cyber Police Station, said that a new accused involved in supplying fraud SIM cards to the gang has now been arrested. Earlier, Gaurav, Arsad, and Sanjay, all residents of Muradnagar (Uttar Pradesh), had already been arrested for their role in the fraud.

The newly arrested accused used to purchase SIM cards through fake documents and provide them to cyber gangs involved in phishing and identity fraud.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to trace the remaining members of the racket and recover the defrauded amount.