Pune Cyber Police Recover Rs 40 Lakh for Retired Scientist Duped in Digital Arrest Scam
Pune, 7th May 2025: In a significant breakthrough against digital fraud, Pune Cyber Crime officials have recovered ₹40 lakh for a 64-year-old retired woman scientist from Erandwane, who was coerced into transferring over ₹1.82 crore to cybercriminals in December last year.
This marks the city’s first major financial recovery in a “digital arrest” case for 2025, police said.
The victim had fallen prey to an elaborate scheme in which fraudsters, impersonating Mumbai cyber police officials, accused her of involvement in 12 criminal cases linked to her Aadhaar and SIM cards. Over four harrowing days between December 19 and 26, 2024, she was virtually detained — allowed to leave home only to visit the bank — and manipulated into transferring large sums across multiple accounts.
“They made her sit in front of a laptop under constant psychological pressure, convincing her that she needed to clear the alleged charges by sending money to specified bank accounts,” said Inspector Yashwant Nikam of Pune Cyber Police.
Following the complaint filed on January 1 this year, cyber investigators traced a complex network of financial transactions. Using advanced software tools, officials tracked how the fraudsters had fragmented and funneled the stolen ₹1.82 crore into more than 100 bank accounts.
“We froze over 100 accounts where we detected suspicious activity. After obtaining permission from the court, we refunded ₹40 lakh to the victim last week,” Nikam confirmed. “Another ₹5 lakh is expected to be returned shortly.”
The case highlights growing concerns around “digital arrest” scams, where victims are isolated, mentally cornered, and made to comply with fake legal threats. Police have urged the public to be vigilant and verify any such calls claiming to be from law enforcement.
This recovery comes just days ahead of another major financial restitution in an unrelated online trading scam, where police returned ₹51 lakh to a central government employee from Lohegaon. That victim had lost ₹85 lakh in April 2024, with the funds traced to over 200 bank accounts now under investigation.
“These operations demonstrate our commitment to pursuing digital fraud aggressively and ensuring justice for victims,” Nikam added.
