Mumbai Fraud News: Senior Citizen Defrauded Of ₹1.51 Crore In 'Digital Arrest' Scam; Three Held, Dubai-Based Mastermind Traced

Mumbai: The South Cyber Police Region has arrested three individuals in connection with a sophisticated cyber fraud case, where a 78-year-old senior citizen woman was duped of ₹1.51 crore through a fake “digital arrest” scam. The accused allegedly provided bank accounts to the main mastermind, identified as John, who is operating from Dubai.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Sapan Prafull Kumar from Diva (Thane), and Imran and Abbu Bakar from Rabale. The court has remanded all three to police custody until July 24. According to investigators, Kumar sourced multiple bank accounts and passed them on to co-accused Imran and Abbu Bakar, which were subsequently used to receive the victim’s money.

Jyoti Premanand Bandodkar (78), a homemaker residing near Bank of Baroda on Bhulabhai Desai Road, was first contacted on December 6, 2024, by a man posing as “Amit Kumar from DHL Courier, Delhi.” He falsely claimed that a suspicious parcel in her name, bound for Bangkok, had been intercepted by a Special Investigation Team. The parcel allegedly contained expired passports, narcotics, and her Aadhaar card.

The scammers then impersonated officers from the Delhi Crime Branch — using names like M.K. Mohandas, Inspector Anant Rana, Vijay Pal, and George Mathew from a fake “Finance Department.” They used WhatsApp video calls, fabricated documents, and threats of arrest warrants, money laundering charges, and digital surveillance to intimidate the victim.

Bandodkar was told that her bank accounts and investments were under scrutiny and was coerced into transferring ₹1.51 crore from her IDBI Bank account to accounts controlled by the fraudsters. She was also warned not to inform her family, under the pretext of being placed under “digital custody.”

She realised the scam only after confiding in relatives, who helped her file a complaint through the national cybercrime helpline (1930). A formal FIR was later registered.

Police confirmed that the fraudsters exploited psychological manipulation and fear tactics to gain access to the victim’s sensitive personal and financial information. Efforts are underway to trace the Dubai-based mastermind and others involved in the network. Authorities have once again urged citizens not to share personal or banking details with unknown callers and to verify the identity of those claiming to represent law enforcement.