Pune Army Officer Loses Rs 1.28 Crore in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam After Fraudsters Pose as Telecom, CBI and Mumbai Crime Branch Officials:

A veteran in Pune lost Rs 1.28 crore after fraudsters targeted him in a suspected digital arrest scam, a FIR registered at the Pune city cyber police station said.

The fraud started on August 20, 2026 when the veteran received a call from a woman who said he was from Telecom Headquarters in New Delhi. She told him that a mobile number, registered in his name, was being used from Mumbai to make fake calls and circulate obscene videos. Later, the callers sent him a fake FIR and photographs that they said were related to the case.

Then people claiming to be officers of Mumbai Crime Branch and CBI contacted the victim. One of the fraudsters used to appear in police uniform during video calls and used to introduce himself as a CBI officer by the name of 'Pawar'. Another person introduced himself as senior officer, “Vijay Khanna”.

The fraudsters asked about the veteran’s family, bank accounts, fixed deposits and gold. They said if he didn’t help them with their investigation, he could be arrested. They then forced him to break his fixed deposits and transfer money to the bank accounts they provided.

Police suspect that these accounts were mule accounts used to move money obtained through fraud. The veteran transferred a total of Rs 1.28 crore from his savings accounts and fixed deposits. The fraudsters told him that moving money through several accounts was part of a normal verification process.

The victim became suspicious when the demands for money continued and the fraudsters gave him more bank accounts to transfer money into. On September 1, his wife spoke to their daughter, who lives abroad. The daughter recognised the incident as a digital arrest scam and immediately alerted her parents.

The veteran then contacted the cybercrime helpline and Pune city cyber police. An FIR was registered, and an investigation is now underway. The real identities of the accused have not yet been made public.

Digital arrest scams follow a common pattern. Fraudsters often pretend to be police officers, CBI officials, telecom officials or other government authorities. They falsely tell victims that their phone number, Aadhaar details or bank account has been linked to serious crimes such as money laundering, pornography or terrorism.

The fraudsters may send fake documents, keep victims on constant video or phone calls and prevent them from speaking to family members. They then ask victims to transfer money for "verification", promising that it will be returned later.

There is no legal provision in India for a "digital arrest". Genuine police or central government agencies do not ask people to transfer their personal savings to third-party bank accounts over phone or video calls.

Police have reported several large digital arrest fraud cases involving elderly people in Pune in 2025 and 2026. In some cases, stolen money has been moved through hundreds or even thousands of mule accounts and later converted into cryptocurrency.

People who receive such calls should immediately disconnect and should not share their bank details, Aadhaar information, passwords or OTPs. They should also never transfer money because of threats made over a phone or video call.

Suspected cyber fraud should be reported immediately by calling the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or by filing a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Victims should also inform their local cyber police station. Quick reporting can help police freeze the money before it is moved through more accounts.