Delhi Police: Report Rs 1.5 crore in scam losses prevented

Delhi Police says its cybercrime investigators prevented losses of Rs 1.5 crore by tracing suspicious bank transfers and intervening in “digital arrest” scams affecting victims in Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to a Times of India report published on 19 October 2026. The report describes an investigation following a complaint filed on 29 September, rather than an operation conducted on the publication date.^[1]

Deputy Commissioner of Police Anyesh Roy said five victims, including four senior citizens living alone, were freed from threats made through video calls by the Financial Monitoring Cell of the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit, or IFSO, the newspaper reported.^[1]

“Digital arrest” describes a scam in which callers impersonate authorities and pressure people to remain on video calls while demanding money. It is not a recognised form of arrest under Indian law, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, or I4C, said in an advisory dated 6 March 2025.^[2]

A bank account led investigators to other victims

The investigation began after a retired military officer filed an electronic first information report, or e-FIR, on 29 September. According to the police account reported by The Times of India, scammers posed as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India officials and a police officer, threatened him with arrest in a fabricated money-laundering case linked to his Aadhaar, and induced him to transfer money.^[1]

Investigators followed the transfers to an account in Hyderabad that police described as a mule account – an account used to receive or move fraud proceeds. They found transfers from five other victims between 21 and 29 September, the newspaper reported. The bank trail therefore gave investigators leads beyond the person who had first complained.^[1]

In Delhi, police identified a transfer of Rs 25 lakh made on 29 September by a retired Airports Authority of India employee. The man initially distrusted the investigators. The team shared awareness videos and encouraged him to check their identities through the national cybercrime helpline, according to the report.^[1]

Police then coordinated with banks and the Dwarka cyber police station to protect his remaining assets. The report describes that intervention separately from the Rs 25 lakh already transferred; it does not say that this earlier payment had been returned.^[1]

In Rajasthan, a cloth trader and his wife had already lost Rs 18 lakh when the scammers pressed them to mortgage their house, again using allegations of Aadhaar-linked illegal activity. Police said they stopped a further loss of Rs 10 lakh by connecting the couple to Rajasthan’s 1930 cybercrime helpline to register a complaint, The Times of India reported.^[1]

The newspaper also reported that a hospital assistant in Maharashtra had lost Rs 85 lakh during a scam involving 15 days of purported digital arrest. These amounts describe money already lost or subsequently protected in individual cases, not a published breakdown of the overall Rs 1.5 crore figure.^[1]

Impersonation and pressure to stay on camera

I4C’s March 2025 advisory describes a sequence of official impersonation, intimidation, confinement to video calls and demands for payment. Callers may pretend to represent the police, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Reserve Bank of India or other agencies. They then make false allegations linking the recipient to illegal activity.^[2]

Some scammers use staged police-station settings to make their video calls appear authentic, the advisory says. Money is demanded in exchange for supposedly settling the matter or withholding the fabricated accusations. I4C advises checking the caller’s identity with a police station and discussing payment demands with relatives or friends before acting.^[2]

Delhi Police describes IFSO as a specialised unit under its Special Cell that handles complex and sensitive cybercrime cases. Its official website lists digital forensic capabilities, including examination of mobile phones and recovery of deleted data. That description establishes the unit’s broader role, but does not identify which forensic tools were used in this investigation.^[3]

Stopping a transfer is different from returning money

The official frequently asked questions document for the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System explains how complaints can connect police, banks and other financial intermediaries. I4C provides the platform, while state and Union Territory law-enforcement agencies receive and handle complaints, including those made through 1930.^[4]

The document says banks can use a transaction reference number to locate a reported payment. If the disputed money remains in an account, it can be placed under a lien – a hold on the amount. If it has moved elsewhere, the receiving institution can record the onward-transfer details. Withdrawals can also be recorded against the complaint.^[4]

A hold does not itself establish that money has reached the victim again. The FAQ describes separate refund procedures, which may involve a bank’s internal investigation, police communication or a court order. It also says a complaint acknowledgement number can support placing the disputed amount on hold pending investigation.^[4]

For the five-state intervention, The Times of India’s report does not provide an account-by-account calculation of the Rs 1.5 crore protected, specify how much previously transferred money was refunded, or report arrests arising from the investigation.^[1]

References

1. The Times of India. Delhi Police trace money trail, save Rs 1.5 crore from cyber fraud across five states. 19 October 2026.
2. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit. “Digital Arrest” Scam, advisory TAU/ADV/003. 6 March 2025.
3. Delhi Police. Cyber Crime Unit- Delhi Police.
4. cyberpolice.nic.in. Citizen Financial Fraud Reporting and Management System: FAQ.