Elderly Man Duped of ₹7.12 Crore by Cyber Fraudsters Posing as Police

Cyber Fraud in Hyderabad: A Shocking Case

In Hyderabad, a group of scammers impersonating Mumbai police officers executed a digital arrest scheme, swindling an 81-year-old man out of ₹7.12 crore by threatening him with involvement in a drug trafficking racket. Authorities disclosed this incident on Sunday.

According to the police, the cybercriminals contacted the victim on October 27 last year, posing as representatives from a courier service. They claimed that a parcel sent from Mumbai to Thailand contained MDMA (a narcotic), a passport, and several debit and credit cards, which had been handed over to the Mumbai police.

A police official revealed that shortly after, another individual, pretending to be a Mumbai police officer, called the elderly man, alleging that he was implicated in a significant drug trafficking, money laundering, and terrorism operation. The scammers convinced the victim to transfer money under the pretext of verifying his bank accounts and avoiding legal trouble.

Over the course of two months, the elderly victim transferred a total of ₹7.12 crore. When the fraudsters demanded more funds, he filed a complaint with the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau on December 30, prompting the police to register a case and initiate an investigation.

The term 'digital arrest' refers to a fraudulent method where scammers pose as law enforcement or investigative agency officials, using video calls to coerce victims into handing over money.