New Delhi, August 21, 2026 : A retired Indian Army colonel was allegedly duped of Rs 15.50 lakh in a sophisticated “digital arrest” cyber-fraud after criminals posing as police and enforcement officials allegedly threatened him with arrest over a fabricated money-laundering and terrorist-financing case.
The Delhi Police said on Friday that four people have been arrested for allegedly facilitating the cyber-fraud network by supplying mule bank accounts to cybercriminal syndicates linked to operators in Cambodia and the UAE/Dubai.
The arrests were made in Punjab and Rajasthan, while police recovered four mobile phones and six SIM cards allegedly used in the commission of cyber offences.
Fake Police Call Leads to ‘Digital Arrest’
According to police, the case came to light after the retired colonel, a resident of Munirka Enclave, lodged a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) alleging that he had been cheated of Rs 15.50 lakh.
Police said the victim received a call on April 15 from a person claiming that his telephone connection would be disconnected on the orders of the Maharashtra Police. He was subsequently directed to another number, where another fraudster allegedly posed as a police officer.
The caller reportedly told the retired officer that his personal details had been misused to open an illegal bank account in Mumbai. The fraudsters allegedly claimed that the account was connected to money laundering, investment fraud and terrorist financing.
To make the fabricated allegations appear credible, the accused allegedly sent forged documents, including a fake Enforcement Directorate arrest warrant, court papers, an anticipatory bail document and fabricated communications purportedly issued by the Bombay High Court and the Reserve Bank of India.
The retired colonel and his wife were subsequently subjected to what police described as a “digital arrest”. Under sustained psychological pressure, the victim was allegedly compelled to disclose information about his assets and transfer Rs 15.50 lakh on the pretext of complying with purported RBI instructions.
Money Trail Exposes Wider Network
An e-FIR was registered on April 19 at the Cyber Police Station of Southwest district, following which investigators began analysing the money trail, beneficiary accounts, digital footprints and technical data.
Police traced the defrauded amount to a current bank account in Ludhiana allegedly belonging to accused Sarbjit, 38.
During questioning, Sarbjit allegedly told investigators that he had handed over his current account to Suraj, 30, who had reportedly been contacted through Sandeep, 32, an employee of a bank.
Investigators said Sarbjit, Suraj and Sandeep travelled to Jaipur to hand over the account kit to Naresh alias Lucky, who allegedly made it available to cyber-fraud operators.
Following the leads, police conducted a raid in Rajasthan and arrested Naresh, a resident of Sikar.
Accounts Allegedly Supplied to Overseas Cyber-Fraud Operators
According to police, Naresh disclosed that he procured current bank accounts from Suraj and supplied them to cyber-fraud operators allegedly based in Cambodia and the UAE/Dubai.
The investigation reportedly uncovered a commission-based system in which bank accounts were procured from individuals willing to surrender control of their accounts and then passed through multiple intermediaries before reaching cyber-fraud operators.
Police alleged that Sandeep used his employment in the banking sector and his contacts to facilitate the procurement of current accounts, while Suraj acted as an intermediary. Naresh allegedly served as the link between domestic account suppliers and overseas-linked cyber-fraud operators.
Beneficiary Account Linked to 17 NCRP Complaints
Police said the bank account into which the retired colonel transferred the money has been linked to 17 complaints registered on the NCRP across several states and Union territories.
The complaints reportedly involve fraudulent transactions running into crores of rupees, suggesting that the account was allegedly being used as part of a much larger cyber-fraud network.
Investigators said the accounts were allegedly used to receive proceeds from cyber frauds targeting victims in different parts of the country.
The four arrested accused are being investigated for their alleged roles in the account-procurement and money-transfer chain. Police said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the network and trace additional fraudulent transactions.
