Two separate digital arrest scams in Mumbai have cost senior citizens a combined Rs 1.76 crore, with one case directly exploiting an insurance policy lure. The cases highlight how fraudsters are targeting policyholders, particularly seniors, with sophisticated schemes involving fake government officials and staged video calls.

Case 1: Rs 64 lakh lost through insurance refund lure

A senior citizen purchased four Birla Sun Life Insurance policies in 2011. After the policies lapsed, a man identifying himself as Deepak Rathi contacted him in 2015, promising to reactivate the policies and recover his money. Over the following years, multiple callers continued the scam, each claiming to have taken over the file. From 2023 to 2026, the victim was threatened with Enforcement Directorate action and digital arrest through a WhatsApp video call with a police logo. Rs 63.58 lakh was withdrawn from his account through ATMs and other means, while another Rs 51.25 lakh deposited into his account was also misappropriated.

Case 2: Rs 1.12 crore lost through fake money laundering case

A 68-year-old retired professional from Dahisar was placed under digital arrest for two weeks after scammers posing as telecom and police officials claimed his Aadhaar had been used in a Rs 238 crore money laundering case. Fake Supreme Court documents were sent via WhatsApp. He was kept under constant video surveillance and coerced into liquidating fixed deposits and transferring money. Six people have been arrested, including an IndusInd Bank operations manager and an IIT Delhi graduate.

The pattern

Both cases follow the same script: a cold call about an expired insurance policy or a government investigation, escalating threats, video calls with fake police logos and official letterheads, and a demand to transfer money. The Rs 64 lakh case ran for over a decade, showing how patient fraudsters can be. The Rs 1.12 crore case involved an organized network with mule accounts, SIM cards linked to different identities, and money routed through gold trading firms.

What you should know

  • No government agency conducts arrests through video calls. The CBI, ED, RBI and police do not make arrests digitally. This is a scam tactic, not a real procedure.
  • Never share OTPs or banking details with anyone who calls claiming to be from IRDAI, the police or any government agency.
  • If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and contact the cybercrime helpline at 1930 immediately.
  • Report to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in.
  • Check your insurance policies directly through your insurer official website or app, not through numbers provided by unknown callers.

How to verify

If someone calls about your insurance policy, verify independently. Call your insurer using the number on their official website or your policy document. Never use numbers provided by the caller. If you receive a message about your policy, do not click any links. Open the insurer website directly in your browser.