A 74-year-old retired teacher and her husband from Khed taluka in Maharashtra were allegedly cheated of ₹68.80 lakh in a month-long digital arrest scam. The fraud took place between July 29 and September 1, 2026, according to police.The couple was allegedly threatened by two men who claimed to be police officers. One introduced himself as “SI Sandeep Rao”, while the other impersonated senior IPS officer Vishwas Nangre Patil.Key HighlightsA retired teacher, aged 74, and her husband lost ₹68.80 lakh.The alleged fraud happened from July 29 to September 1.Fraudsters claimed to be police officers and threatened the couple with arrest.The victims were allegedly kept under “digital arrest” and told not to leave home.The fraud was discovered on September 4 after the couple saw the real IPS officer on television.How the Pune Digital Arrest Scam StartedThe Pune digital arrest scam reportedly began on July 29, when the 74-year-old woman received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown number.A man wearing a police uniform claimed to be SI Sandeep Rao from Worli police. He allegedly told her that a ₹2-crore illegal transaction had taken place through an account at a bank's Worli branch.The woman denied having any such account. She was then connected to another man who claimed to be IPS officer Vishwas Nangre Patil.“This is Vishwas Nangre Patil speaking.”During a conversation lasting around two hours, the impersonator allegedly asked about the couple's bank and post office savings, LIC policies and gold.Couple Transfers Their Life SavingsThe fraudsters allegedly told the elderly couple that they could avoid travelling to Mumbai if they cooperated with an investigation.Fearing arrest, the couple transferred around ₹40 lakh from their two post office savings accounts into accounts provided by the suspects.Later, the callers allegedly instructed them to pledge their gold and transfer the gold-loan money into other accounts. The suspects reportedly claimed these were government accounts and that the money would be returned after verification.The couple was also allegedly told that they were under “digital arrest” and should not leave their house.They were instructed to send a WhatsApp message saying “I am safe at home” every two hours.Fraud Exposed After TV ReportWhen the couple later asked for their money back, the fraudsters allegedly demanded more payments, saying the case was nearing completion.The couple eventually broke their LIC policies and transferred the proceeds. Between July 29 and September 1, they allegedly lost a total of ₹68.80 lakh.The fraud came to light on September 4, when the couple watched a television report about Dahi Handi celebrations. They saw the real Vishwas Nangre Patil speaking and realised that the person who had contacted them was an impersonator.The couple then approached Khed police, who registered an FIR and began investigating the bank accounts and phone number used in the alleged ₹68 lakh cyber fraud.What Is a Digital Arrest Scam?A digital arrest fraud in India is a cybercrime in which criminals pretend to be police, CBI, ED, RBI or other officials. They threaten victims with arrest and force them to transfer money.Police have repeatedly warned people that genuine government agencies do not conduct arrests through WhatsApp video calls or demand money for online “verification.”The Pune cyber crime case shows how fraudsters can use fear, fake identities and long phone calls to target elderly people and steal their savings.
