Retired Colonel, wife duped of ₹49 lakh during 16-day ‘digital arrest’ in Himachal

Cyber criminals impersonating Mumbai police use fake money laundering charges to trap couple

A retired colonel from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh and his wife became victims of a sophisticated cyber scam that lasted over two weeks.
The couple was falsely accused of being involved in money laundering and kept under what the fraudsters called a “digital arrest” for 16 days. The cyber criminals contacted the couple through a WhatsApp video call, pretending to be senior officials from the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Using a fabricated story that the couple’s Aadhaar details were linked to illegal SIM cards and a Mumbai-based bank account with ₹2 crore in suspicious transactions, the fraudsters threatened a legal investigation.
The couple, alarmed and unaware of the trap, followed the scammer’s every instruction, believing they were cooperating with law enforcement.

Video calls, fear tactics and bank transfers

The scam began on March 23 and continued until April 7. During this period, the couple remained on video calls for nearly 11 hours each day, constantly monitored by the fraudsters.
Under immense psychological pressure, they were told their bank accounts were under scrutiny and that they must transfer funds to ensure “verification” by authorities.

The retired officer transferred ₹9 lakh on March 29, followed by a staggering ₹40 lakh on April 4, all through RTGS transactions. Even during the money transfers, the scammers kept them on video calls, reinforcing the illusion of legitimacy and urgency.

Cyber cops step in, freeze part of stolen money

It wasn’t until April 10 that the couple realised they had been deceived and approached the cyber crime police station in Mandi.
Officials responded swiftly, managing to freeze ₹5.58 lakh from suspicious accounts, though the scammers had already moved the bulk of the money through 22 different bank accounts.

A senior police officer said there was no such legal concept as “digital arrest” and urged citizens not to fall for such claims. He encouraged anyone receiving suspicious calls or messages to immediately report them via the national helpline 1930.

Over the past six months, Himachal has recorded at least seven similar cases, with losses amounting to over ₹2.26 crore, highlighting the urgent need for digital awareness and quick reporting.

Sunil Chadha