Retired Police Officer Duped of ₹19 Lakh in Fake NIA Digital Arrest Scam

A 61-year-old retired police sub-inspector was duped of Rs 19 lakh after cyber fraudsters posing as National Investigation Agency (NIA) and police officials subjected him to a fraudulent digital arrest over fabricated terror links.

The complainant, a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar who retired from the police force in June 2023, was targeted on August 4. He received an initial phone call from an individual claiming to be an official from the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) office in Mumbai. The caller alleged that a SIM card issued in Mumbai under the victim's name had been used in criminal activities.

Shortly after the initial call, the victim received a video call from another fraudster claiming to operate from the NIA's Mumbai office. The caller claimed that the former officer's links with a terrorist organisation had surfaced during a money laundering investigation. Another impersonator claiming to be a police officer then joined the intimidation, threatening the victim with immediate arrest while explicitly mentioning their awareness of his background as a retired policeman.

The scammers sent forged documents to the victim to simulate a formal digital arrest. Under the pretext of assisting him with the alleged investigation, they coerced him into transferring Rs 19 lakh across two online transactions to various beneficiary bank accounts.

The victim later discussed the incident with a friend, who recognised that he had been defrauded and advised him to approach law enforcement authorities.

Following the victim's complaint, the police registered a case under sections 308 (extortion) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act.