24 May,2026 09:15 PM IST | Nagpur (Maharashtra) | mid-day online correspondent
The victim, a resident of the Jaripatka area, was reportedly threatened and manipulated through fake law enforcement proceedings conducted over video calls. Representational Pic/File
A 72-year-old retired nurse from Maharashtra's Nagpur was allegedly cheated of Rs 90.65 lakh by cyber fraudsters who kept her under a so-called "digital arrest" for several weeks, police said on Sunday, reported the PTI.
The victim, a resident of the Jaripatka area, was reportedly threatened and manipulated through fake law enforcement proceedings conducted over video calls.
According to cyber police officials, the ordeal started in November last year when the woman received a phone call from a person posing as a law enforcement officer.
The caller allegedly informed her that her name had surfaced in a money laundering investigation and warned that she could be arrested.
To make the claims appear genuine, the accused reportedly staged fake police and court proceedings through video conferencing platforms.
According to the PTI, police said the cyber fraudsters used fear and intimidation to pressure the senior citizen into transferring money to multiple bank accounts.
They said that between November 26 and December 9, she allegedly transferred a total of Rs 90.65 lakh to the accounts provided by the accused.
The scammers had reportedly assured her that the money would be refunded if she was found innocent during the so-called investigation, the news agency reported.
Officials said that the victim later realised she had been deceived after the accused suddenly stopped communicating with her.
On her complaint, a police case has since been registered and efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved in the cyber fraud operation, as per the PTI.
Cyber police warned citizens that no police department, court or government agency conducts "digital arrests" or asks individuals to transfer money for verification purposes, reported the PTI.
Police officials said that such scams are becoming increasingly common, with fraudsters impersonating police officers, court officials or government representatives through phone and video calls.
In many cases, victims are psychologically pressured into isolation and forced to transfer money under the threat of arrest or legal action, the officials said, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
