The Maharashtra State Cyber Department has uncovered the largest-ever ‘digital arrest’ fraud in India, involving Rs 58.13 crore, and arrested seven people in connection with the case.

The office of the additional director general of police, Maharashtra Cyber, serves as the nodal agency for cybersecurity and cybercrime enforcement in the state. Digital arrest frauds, in which organised syndicates impersonate government or law enforcement officials to extort large sums from citizens, have been increasingly prevalent in recent months, with fraudsters mostly targeting senior citizens and duping them of substantial amounts of money.