Retired Kharghar Couple Loses ₹44.91 Lakh in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam

A retired couple from Kharghar lost ₹44.91 lakh after falling victim to cyber fraudsters who posed as senior police officers, including IPS officer Vishwas Nangre Patil, in a “digital arrest” scam.

According to police, the incident occurred on October 15 when a man claiming to be “Mr. Sharma” from the Data Protection Board of India called the 78-year-old victim, alleging his involvement in a financial crime case filed in Nashik.

Soon after, another caller introduced himself as police officer Hemraj Kohli and threatened the elderly man with immediate arrest if he did not cooperate. The caller warned that failure to comply could lead to imprisonment or a fine of ₹5 crore.

To make the scam appear genuine, the fraudsters arranged a fake video conference with a man impersonating senior IPS officer Vishwas Nangre Patil. During the call, the couple was instructed to transfer funds to several bank accounts as part of a “confidential investigation.”

Fearing legal action, the couple transferred ₹44.91 lakh via RTGS from their Saraswat Bank and Shamrao Vithal Co-operative Bank accounts. The scammers then sent fake receipts claiming to be from the Enforcement Directorate to convince them the transfers were legitimate.

The victims were further told they were under “digital arrest” and warned not to disclose the matter to anyone. The fraudsters threatened them with dire consequences if they tried to contact anyone.

When the couple later realized they had been cheated, they approached Kharghar Police Station. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act.

Kharghar Police have begun investigating the network of cyber criminals and the bank accounts used in the fraud.