Digitally arrested over alleged PFI links, Pune elderly man loses Rs 1 crore to fraudsters

An elderly man from Pune lost over Rs 1 crore to fraudsters who placed him under digital arrest on charges including trading weapons for terrorism and alleged links to the proscribed Popular Front of India, on the promise of exoneration if he paid a huge sum that was to be returned upon completion of the case, which they claimed was being probed by the National Investigation Agency.

The 69-year-old retiree approached the cybercrime police station in Pune earlier this week, following which a First Information Report was registered, and investigators said the fraud unfolded over the first week of December through a series of carefully orchestrated calls designed to induce fear and compliance, The Indian Express reported.

According to the complaint, the victim was contacted by a man claiming to be a Mumbai police officer, who sought Aadhaar details and then asserted that the retiree had been named in multiple serious criminal cases involving terrorism financing and weapons trafficking.

Although the complainant denied any involvement, the fraudsters escalated the pressure by warning of a possible seven-year prison term, while adding that money laundering charges were also being examined by the Enforcement Directorate, thereby reinforcing the impression of an inter-agency investigation.

The victim was then told that he would be placed under digital arrest and monitored remotely, and that his name could be cleared if he cooperated fully with a financial verification process.

Believing the claims to be genuine, the retiree shared personal and banking details and transferred a total of Rs 1 crore in four transactions to mule accounts located in Bhiwandi in Mumbai, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh, and Chandigarh, after being assured that the amount would be returned once scrutiny was completed.

When the promised refund did not materialise, and further demands amounting to Rs 95 lakh were made, the victim grew suspicious and reported the matter to the police.

Investigators said the case reflected the persistence of digital arrest scams despite repeated awareness campaigns, as cybercriminals continue to impersonate law enforcement agencies, regulators, and courts, while exploiting fear, authority, and urgency.

Authorities have noted that such frauds are often linked to organised networks that route money through layers of domestic mule accounts before diverting it for wider cybercrime operations, sometimes across borders.