82-Year-Old Former Govt Officer Dies of Shock After Losing Rs 1.19 Crore in Pune Digital Arrest Scam

Vishrantwadi, 30th October 2025: An 82-year-old retired state government officer from Vishrantwadi died of shock after being defrauded of ₹1.19 crore in a digital arrest scam. The fraudsters, posing as Mumbai Cyber Police and CBI officials, trapped him and his 80-year-old wife between August 16 and September 17.

The elderly man’s wife filed a complaint with the Pune Cyber Police on Tuesday, following verification of her grievance application. She told police that her husband was deeply distressed over the financial loss and continuous intimidation by the fraudsters, who had virtually confined them for three days under the pretext of an investigation. The man collapsed at his residence on October 22 and was declared dead at a hospital.

According to the FIR, the ordeal began when the victim received a call on August 16 from someone claiming to be a Mumbai Police officer. The caller alleged that the couple’s bank account and Aadhaar details were used in a money-laundering case linked to the owner of a private airline.

Senior Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde of the Pune Cyber Police said, “Later, the victim received another call from a man pretending to be an IPS officer from the CBI’s Delhi office. He told the couple that their names had surfaced in the CBI probe and they would face arrest unless they cooperated.”

The scammers instructed the retired officer to keep his phone camera on and restricted his movement for three days — a tactic known as ‘digital arrest’. “During this time, the fraudsters extracted personal and banking details while continuously questioning the couple to maintain pressure,” Shinde added.

The accused then demanded payment to “settle” the case and remove the couple’s names from the alleged investigation. “They shared details of five bank accounts and instructed the man to transfer money. The couple exhausted all their life savings, including funds sent by their daughters abroad,” Shinde said. When the scammers stopped contacting them, the victims confided in one of their daughters, who advised them to approach the police.

Data from the Maharashtra Cyber Police shows that digital arrest scams have surged sharply in 2025. Between January and August, 218 such cases were registered across the state, with citizens losing over ₹112 crore. Police have so far solved only 26 of these cases, arresting 49 suspects, recovering ₹1.5 crore, and freezing another ₹5.51 crore.

Officials said most of these scams are orchestrated from smaller towns, where SIM cards are easily accessible. “Fraudsters often use VPNs to hide their location and primarily target senior citizens, who are more likely to panic and avoid discussing such matters with family,” Inspector Shinde said.
The Pune Cyber Police are now tracing the accounts and call records used in the scam.