A retired high-ranking Army officer has become the latest victim of the growing “Digital Arrest” menace in Haryana. The scammers used psychological pressure and fake legal documents to siphon off ₹25 lakh from his bank account in a matter of hours.
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The Trap: The victim received a call from individuals posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) and the CBI. They claimed that a mobile number registered in his name was being used to send illegal messages and was linked to a multi-crore money laundering scam.
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The “Digital Arrest”: To intimidate the officer, the fraudsters initiated a video call showing a fake police station background with actors in uniform. They told the officer he was under “Digital Arrest” and must not disconnect the call or inform anyone, including his family, as it would “compromise national security.”
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Financial Drain: Under extreme mental pressure, the officer was coerced into transferring ₹25 lakh into several “government-authorized” bank accounts for verification. The scammers promised the money would be refunded once the “investigation” was over.
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Police Reaction: Once the victim realized the fraud, he approached the Cyber Crime Police Station in Sector 12, Panchkula. Officials have traced the money to various accounts across different states and have initiated the process to freeze the remaining funds.
