Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Army Veteran Loses Rs 1.28 Crore in Digital Arrest Scam
An Army veteran in Pune received a call from people pretending to be government officials.
They falsely said his phone had been used to send obscene material.
The callers showed him fake documents and threatened to arrest him online.
They told him to transfer money so his bank accounts could be checked.
The veteran sent them Rs 1.28 crore from his savings and fixed deposits.
The callers stayed in touch through phone and video calls.
His wife became suspicious and contacted their daughter abroad.
The daughter recognised the scam, and the veteran reported it to cybercrime authorities.
A Pune-based Army veteran in his 70s was allegedly defrauded of Rs 1.28 crore.
Fraudsters falsely claimed his phone was linked to obscene content and fraudulent calls.
The callers posed as telecom, Mumbai Crime Branch, police and CBI officials.
They threatened him with “digital arrest” and instructed him to transfer savings and fixed deposits.
The veteran’s daughter identified the fraud, prompting a cybercrime complaint and FIR.
- Who
- A Pune-based Army veteran in his 70s, his wife and their daughter; the alleged fraudsters posed as telecom, police, Mumbai Crime Branch and Central Bureau of Investigation officials.
- What
- The veteran was allegedly duped into transferring Rs 1.28 crore in a week-long digital arrest scam.
- When
- The first call came on August 20; transfers occurred between the last week of August and the first week of September, with the fraud reported after September 1.
- Where
- The victim was based in Pune; the alleged phone-related offence was falsely linked to Mumbai, and the money was sent to accounts specified by the callers.
- Why
- The fraudsters used false allegations, fake documents and threats of arrest to persuade the veteran to transfer money for supposed account verification.
- Alleged loss
- Rs 1.28 crore
- Victim
- Pune-based Army veteran in his 70s
- First call
- August 20
- Scam duration
- About one week
- Impersonated officials
- Telecom officials, Mumbai Crime Branch officers, police and CBI officials
- Money transfers
- Savings and fixed deposits were transferred to accounts specified by the callers
- Complaint
- An FIR was registered at the Pune city cyber police station