An elderly NRI couple, Indira Taneja (77) and Om Taneja (81), was cheated of nearly ₹15 crore in Delhi after being kept under a so-called “digital arrest” for more than 15 days.
The scammers pretended to be officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai Police, according to Delhi Police.
Elderly NRI Couple Loses Nearly ₹15 Crore in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam
The couple only realized they had been scammed after approaching the police.
Om Taneja said their “biggest mistake” was not going to the police earlier.
He stated, “We were told by the SHO (of Delhi Police) that we were put under (so-called) ‘digital arrest’. And that is when we realised what had happened.”
He repeated, “Not informing the police earlier was our biggest mistake.”
The total amount lost by the couple was ₹14.85 crore.
Indira Taneja, who lives in Greater Kailash-2 in Delhi, said she received a call on December 24 from someone claiming to be a TRAI official.
The caller accused a phone number linked to her of making offensive and abusive calls and claimed she was under investigation for money laundering.
The scammer also told her that black money had been detected in her account and that she was under government surveillance.
She was then connected via video call to a man posing as a police officer from Mumbai’s Colaba Police Station.
The man on video appeared in a police uniform and told her a Canara Bank account in her name was connected to a major fraud. The scammers warned the couple that their lives were in danger and instructed them not to speak to anyone about the matter.
Indira said the call came around noon on December 24. She recalled, “He told me that my telephone number was being disconnected because obscene calls were made from it and that 26 people had filed complaints.”
When the caller mentioned a number, she told him it did not belong to her. Despite this, she said, “he said arrest warrants were issued against me and an FIR was registered in Maharashtra.”
The scammers then claimed the case was being transferred to Mumbai’s Colaba Police and connected her to another video call.
A man identifying himself as ‘Vikrant Singh Rajput’ appeared on screen wearing a police uniform, with police insignia visible behind him.
He told her she was involved in money laundering. He claimed a bank account had been opened in her name at a Canara Bank branch in Mumbai and that large transactions had been carried out through it.
He also showed her a photograph of a man named ‘Naresh Goyal’ and asked if she knew him. She responded, “I told him I had never seen this person in my life.”
The scammers continued manipulating her by claiming a ₹500 crore fraud had taken place.
They told her that because she had returned from the US to serve the nation, the issue had become one of national security.
Under the pretext of a national-security investigation, the scammers told the couple not to involve anyone else.
They demanded that money be sent from the couple’s bank accounts for “verification.”
Indira stated, “They kept demanding money — ₹2 crore, ₹2.1 crore, ₹2.5 crore.”
She said the phone and video calls stayed active almost all day. She added, “I was ‘digitally arrested’ from December 24 noon till January 9 morning.”
After draining their life savings, the scammers told them they would receive a refund through the Reserve Bank of India.
They also claimed the documents had stamps from the Supreme Court.
The couple finally understood they had been deceived only after visiting the police. Indira said, “I am very shocked. Thankfully, we went to the police station and learned that we had been defrauded.”
She added that the scammers’ performance was extremely convincing and that they promised to help them.
Scammers Used Constant Psychological Pressure to Control Victim
Police stated that the scammers kept the victim under constant psychological pressure. They threatened her with legal consequences to ensure compliance.
The couple was persuaded to transfer money via RTGS.
Om Taneja described the accused as “well-formed.” He said the scammers had extensive information about the couple. He stated, “They convinced us in such a way that, out of fear, we gave them all our information.”
He added that three people were involved in the scam.
Indira later contacted the national cybercrime helpline at 1930. She requested time to submit a detailed complaint in the presence of her lawyer.
After this, the case will be transferred to the Cyber Crime Unit. Delhi Police’s IFSO unit has already registered an FIR in the matter.
