Fraudsters pose as Mumbai Police officers, dupe 57-year-old man of 14 lakh; two held

New Delhi: A 57-year-old retired telecom employee from Kishan Ganj, north Delhi, lost Rs 14 lakh in a "digital arrest" scam after cyber fraudsters, posing as Mumbai Police, threatened him with arrest over alleged bank fraud . Two suspects, Banshi Lal and Prem Kumar, both 20-year-old graduates from Barmer, Rajasthan, have been arrested.

According to police, the case came to light when the victim filed a complaint via the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), stating he received a video call from scammers who claimed his bank account was linked to illegal activities and that Mumbai Police were on their way to arrest him. Panicked by the threat of arrest, he transferred Rs 14 lakh to the scammers' account as instructed, the victim said.

A case under section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at the Cyber North police station. A team, led by DCP (north) Raja Banthia, tracked the suspects through technical analysis of call records, IMEI numbers, details of e-commerce and UPI transactions. The investigation led them to Barmer, Rajasthan, where a raid was conducted.

Lal was apprehended on June 15, and during interrogation, revealed details about co-accused Prem Kumar, who was also nabbed the same day. Police said Kumar paid Lal Rs 8,000 to use his bank account. A third man, Satpal Bishnoi, allegedly paid Kumar Rs 15,000 to facilitate the fund transfer. Lal withdrew the scammed money and handed it over to Bishnoi.

Kumar further disclosed that he provided his own bank details and those of another man, Chinnu Lal, to Bishnoi in exchange for Rs 15,000 each.

Police recovered two mobile phones and two SIM cards from the accused. Investigators believe Kumar played a key role in supplying mule accounts to the fraud network. A search for other suspects, including Bishnoi and Chinnu Lal, is ongoing.