Senior Woman Duped of ₹1.08 Crore in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam in Mumbai

A major case of cyber fraud has been reported in Mumbai, where an 80-year-old woman was cheated of ₹1.08 crore by fraudsters posing as government officials. The gang used the pretext of a “digital arrest” to intimidate the victim into transferring money to multiple bank accounts.

According to officials, the woman received a call on October 27 from a man identifying himself as “Vijay Khanna,” who claimed her Aadhaar number was linked to a money-laundering case. He warned that her mobile number would soon be blocked. The call was then transferred to a woman impersonating IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who told the victim she was under “digital arrest” and must cooperate.

The scammers sent her a fake arrest warrant and repeatedly threatened immediate arrest, pressuring her to transfer large sums of money. Under constant fear and psychological pressure, the woman transferred ₹1.08 crore into several accounts.

When the calls stopped and she found her account emptied, she approached the police. The Central Cyber Cell registered a case and began an investigation. Officials traced part of the money to a bank account in Nagpur belonging to Hitesh Mahuskar and have frozen ₹35 lakh.

Police have termed the case a serious cybercrime and clarified that “digital arrest” has no legal validity. They stressed that no police officer can arrest or demand money over a phone call. Citizens have been advised to avoid sharing personal details or OTPs, ignore suspicious calls, and report fraud immediately by calling the helpline 1930.