A 62-year-old woman from Delhi’s Vasant Kunj lost ₹77 lakh following a case of cyber fraud disguised as a ‘digital arrest’, police officials said.
How Did the Old Woman Get Trapped?
The incident first occurred in August 2024, when the victim, Neeru, a retired school teacher suffering from a neurological condition, tried to purchase her monthly dose of sleeping pills online.
Shortly after placing the order, she received a call from a man claiming to be an officer from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), accusing her of ordering illegal drugs and being involved in drug distribution.
The caller pressured her to either transfer money to verify her bank accounts or face arrest. Eventually, Neeru reportedly transferred ₹3 lakh into multiple accounts to get out of danger.
The ‘Good Cop’ Trap
Ten days later, another man, posing as an NCB official and calling himself a ‘good cop’, contacted her. He sympathised with her, assured her of her innocence, and promised to help recover the lost money. He also returned ₹20,000 to gain her trust.
Soon after, the old woman was asked to join a video call with four men, including the so-called good cop. On their instructions, she shared her phone screen and opened her net banking app. Unknowingly, she gave them complete access to her bank account.
Within minutes, multiple large transactions drained her account, some between ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh. Subsequently, when she tried to contact the cop again, his number was switched off.
Police Investigation and Arrests
Neeru filed a complaint on September 24 with the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSCO) Unit of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell. After a nine-month-long investigation led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manoj Kumar and Sub-inspector (SI) Karamvir, police arrested Akhilesh, one of the main accused, from Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi on June 24, 2025.
During the interrogation, Akhilesh confessed that he and his associates had tricked Neeru into sharing her screen, giving them full access to her bank account.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Amjad and Shahid from Haryana’s Punhana on June 27. Amjad had posed as the good cop, while Shahid assisted in the fraud. Two more accused, identified as Hamid and Shakeel, were arrested on July 1 from Rajasthan’s Deeg, despite resistance from local villagers.
The police officials revealed that only ₹3 lakh has been recovered so far. The investigators also found evidence of other crimes on the accused’s seized mobile phones, including sextortion involving other victims.
The further process of investigation is underway.
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