Archive · 29 Jan 2026
Digital Fraud Cases Rise in India
Recently, there have been several cases of digital fraud in India.
In one case, a retired banker named Naresh Malhotra was tricked by fraudsters who pretended to be police and government officials.
They used a special device to make their calls seem real and made Mr. Malhotra transfer a lot of money, Rs 22.92 crore, to different bank accounts.
The police think the main people behind this fraud are in Cambodia.
In another case, a man named Ashish Kumar Ghora from Kolkata was lured into a WhatsApp group that promised high returns from stock market investments.
He transferred Rs 3.35 crore to multiple bank accounts but later realized it was a scam.
The police arrested one person involved.
Additionally, a Congress MLA from Kerala received a call from someone pretending to be a police officer, trying to scam him through a 'digital arrest' trick.
He quickly realized it was a fraud and reported it to the police.
These cases show how important it is to be careful with online and phone scams.
A retired banker, Naresh Malhotra, was defrauded of Rs 22.92 crore through a digital scam involving impersonation of Mumbai Police, ED, and CBI officials.
Fraudsters used a SIM box to make calls appear legitimate, with the operation allegedly handled from Cambodia.
Ashish Kumar Ghora from Kolkata was duped of Rs 3.35 crore through a WhatsApp group promising high-yield stock market investments.
Hasan Molla was arrested in West Bengal for his involvement in the stock market fraud case.
Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan from Kerala filed a complaint after fraudsters attempted a 'digital arrest' scam.
- Who
- Victims include Naresh Malhotra, Ashish Kumar Ghora, and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Accused include Hasan Molla and five others in the first case.
- What
- Multiple digital fraud cases involving impersonation of officials and high-yield investment scams.
- When
- The frauds occurred recently, with specific incidents reported in August 2025 and January 2024.
- Where
- Incidents occurred in South Delhi, South 24 Parganas (West Bengal), and Kottayam (Kerala).
- Why
- Fraudsters impersonated officials and promised high returns to trick victims into transferring money.
- Victim 1
- Naresh Malhotra, 78-year-old retired banker
- Amount Stolen 1
- Rs 22.92 crore
- Number of Transactions 1
- 21 initial transactions, 4,236 subsequent transactions
- Accused 1
- Ashok, Mohit, Amit, Samarjeet, Kanakpal
- Operation Location 1
- Cambodia
- Tools Used 1
- SIM box for call forwarding
- Arrests Made 1
- 5 persons arrested and chargesheeted
- Victim 2
- Ashish Kumar Ghora, 56, resident of Entally, Kolkata
- Amount Stolen 2
- Rs 3.35 crore
- Accused 2
- Hasan Molla
- Operation Location 2
- South 24 Parganas, West Bengal
- Tools Used 2
- Forged names and logos of SEBI and US SEC
- Arrests Made 2
- 1 person arrested
- Victim 3
- Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Congress MLA from Kottayam
- Scam Type 3
- Digital arrest scam
- Action Taken 3
- Complaint filed with state police chief
Sources
Rs 22.92-cr digital arrest case: Accused used SIM box to trap retd banker, operation handled from Cambodia, say police
Kerala: Congress MLA files complaint after fraudsters attempt ‘digital arrest’ scam
Man arrested in Bengal over Rs 3.35 crore stock market fraud case
