Former Banker In Delhi Loses Rs 23 Crores To Digital Arrest Fraud: What Is It, How To Protect Yourself

Digital Arrest scams are getting bigger with each passing day in the country. In an unfortunate event, a 73-year old retired banker in Delhi has been duped of Rs 23 crore in a digital arrest case. According

to a report by Times Of India, the incident took place in August 2025 when the individual received a call from someone pretending to be a senior officer at Mumbai Police headquarters. The scammer adopted the name Pradeep Sawant and told the elderly that he is a suspect in a financial crime case. Following that, the banker was trapped in a lengthy digital arrest in his own home. Investigators working on the case have found that the scammers asked the victim to daily report his schedule, which even included minute details like meal times, physiotherapy schedule, and more. And by the time the torture was over, this victim had already lost an amount of around Rs 23 crore.

How Digital Arrest Scams Work?

In a digital arrest scam, the scammers mostly pretend to be a part of Indian investigative organizations like the Police, CBI, and more. And the first thing they do is make you believe that your name has come up in smuggling, financial fraud, or other heinous crimes, and you need to follow orders if you don't want to trigger physical arrests. Once the person is convinced that the scammers are actually from Police and CBI, then beings the mental torment along with multiple fake financial fines that you have to pay if you don't want to get arrested.

How To Protect Yourself From Digital Arrest?

First and foremost, when you get a call from someone pretending to be from the police, ask them the exact details about the matter. If they fumble, you already know that blocking them is the best solution. Apart from that, no legit police officer will use fear as a weapon against you or ask to pay massive amounts of money to solve the case on a legal basis. And there is nothing as digital arrest in India, so you should be mindful that if someone is imposing that on you, they are frauds. Last but not least, in case of an emergency, stay in touch with the people you trust so that at least there is someone who can double check if there is actually a case on you or not. On a concluding note, these scams are mostly targeting older people or those who are not that familiar with technical advancements. So, make sure to spread awareness amongst any elderly people around you.