Retired UPPCL Official, Wife Duped Of ₹53 Lakh In 69-Day ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam In Kanpur

A retired Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) official and his wife were allegedly duped of nearly ₹53 lakh after being kept under “digital arrest” by cybercriminals for 69 days, police said.

The couple, living in Upvan Apartments in the Ranighat area of Kohna, Kanpur, were subjected to a prolonged virtual scam in which fraudsters impersonated law-enforcement officers and intimidated them into transferring money.

According to the FIR registered at Kohna police station, the accused posed as officials from the police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claiming that the retired official, Ramesh Chandra, a former deputy general manager with UPPCL, was linked to a money-laundering case and a fabricated suicide incident. They threatened the couple with arrest, imprisonment and attachment of their assets if they did not cooperate.

Police said the fraudsters maintained constant contact with the couple through phone calls and digital platforms, keeping them under psychological pressure for more than two months. They warned the victims not to speak to anyone or leave their home. Even after learning that Chandra needed regular dialysis for his medical condition, the scammers insisted he remain “confined” and continue following their instructions

Fearing legal action, the couple transferred a total of about ₹53 lakh to the accused through multiple RTGS transactions during the 69-day ordeal. Kanpur Cyber Crime officials are now tracing the bank accounts used in the transfers and working with banks to recover the funds.

Police have warned the public to be cautious of similar scams, where criminals impersonate law enforcement to coerce victims into financial transactions, and urged anyone receiving suspicious calls claiming official authority to report them immediately.