Representative image HYDERABAD: After noticing TOI articles on digital arrest cases in Hyderabad, an 81-year-old retired businessman reported being scammed of over Rs 7 crore using the same modus operandi. Posing as Mumbai Police officers, the cyber fraudsters threatened to arrest him in a bogus drug-trafficking and fake passports case and extorted the money.According to a complaint filed by the octagenarian with Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on January 2, his ordeal began on October 27 last year when he received a WhatsApp call from a person claiming to be Sunil Sharma from Blue Dart customer care. Sharma told the victim that a parcel sent in his name from Mumbai to Bangkok contained a laptop, five passports and 200 gram MDMA, a narcotic drug. Minutes later, another caller, posing as a Mumbai crime branch officer, said that based on the evidence, the victim faced charges of extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.Placing the victim under ‘digital arrest’, the impostors warned him against revealing case details to his family or contacting bankers or lawyers, and ordered him to provide full disclosure of his investments. Under sustained intimidation, the businessman transferred Rs 19.8 lakh on October 29 to a City Union Bank account. Further, he installed the Signal app to communicate with them. Between November 6 and December 5, he executed five more RTGS transfers to different bank accounts, bringing the total loss to over Rs 7.12 crore.On December 29, the fraudsters sought an additional Rs 1.2 cr to close the case file against him. Growing suspicious, the victim lodged a complaint on December 31.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos”No Control Over Minority Violence In Bangladesh…”: Former Indian Envoy Slams Yunus Govt“Infamous For His Tour With Anti-National Propaganda”: BJP Rips Rahul Gandhi Over Vietnam VisitInqilab Moncho To March Nationwide Seeking Justice For Sharif Osman Hadi14 Naxals Neutralized In Sukma And Bijapur As Security Forces Launch Anti-Maoist OperationHimachal College Horror: Student Dies After Alleging Sexual Harassment, RaggingIndia Reveals First Vande Bharat Sleeper Offering Faster Overnight Travel On Kolkata-Guwahati LineHindu Businessman Khokon Das, Hacked And Set Ablaze By Mob in Bangladesh, Dies 3 Days After Attack‘Slavery Destroys Heritage’: PM Modi’s Big Message After Unveiling Sacred Buddha Piprahwa RelicsBCCI Asks KKR To Release Bangladesh Player From IPL After Outrage Over Attacks On Hindu MinoritiesGovt Sends Notice To Elon Musk’s X On Grok AI Chatbot Misuse, IT Ministry Seeks Action Report123PhotostoriesHow to make protein-rich Rajma and Soya Kebab for snackingTop 9 cabbage dishes from around the world5 health facts about the world’s number one longevity food5 most photographed natural monuments in the world to explore in 20265 best Indian forests to see wild Asian elephants in JanuaryKrystle D’Souza’s roles that defined her TV career: ‘Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai’ to ‘Belan Wali Bahu’:TV celebrities’ cutest baby name choices: From Bharti Singh-Harsh Limbachiyaa’s Gola to Nakuul Mehta-Jankee Parekh’s Sufi and Rumi8 short and engaging books you can read in a single day8 traditional and comforting Maharashtrian rice dishes that are worth a tryTravel trend 2026: 5 destinations in Asia perfect for slow travel and ‘quietcations’123Hot PicksOperation SindoorVande Bharat Sleeper TrainJanuary Bank holidayGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundBahrain Golden Visa 2025Bank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingSan Francisco 49ersBrittany MahomesNoah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield Net WorthWayne Gretzky Daughter Net WorthSidney Crosby LifestyleLeBron James vs Stephen Curry Net WorthTom BradyLeBron James WifeCam ThomasCharlie Kirk
HYDERABAD: After noticing TOI articles on digital arrest cases in Hyderabad, an 81-year-old retired businessman reported being scammed of over Rs 7 crore using the same modus operandi. Posing as Mumbai Police officers, the cyber fraudsters threatened to arrest him in a bogus drug-trafficking and fake passports case and extorted the money.According to a complaint filed by the octagenarian with Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on January 2, his ordeal began on October 27 last year when he received a WhatsApp call from a person claiming to be Sunil Sharma from Blue Dart customer care. Sharma told the victim that a parcel sent in his name from Mumbai to Bangkok contained a laptop, five passports and 200 gram MDMA, a narcotic drug. Minutes later, another caller, posing as a Mumbai crime branch officer, said that based on the evidence, the victim faced charges of extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.Placing the victim under ‘digital arrest’, the impostors warned him against revealing case details to his family or contacting bankers or lawyers, and ordered him to provide full disclosure of his investments. Under sustained intimidation, the businessman transferred Rs 19.8 lakh on October 29 to a City Union Bank account. Further, he installed the Signal app to communicate with them. Between November 6 and December 5, he executed five more RTGS transfers to different bank accounts, bringing the total loss to over Rs 7.12 crore.On December 29, the fraudsters sought an additional Rs 1.2 cr to close the case file against him. Growing suspicious, the victim lodged a complaint on December 31.
