Desk Correspondent , Delhi - In one of the most sophisticated and prolonged cyber-heists recorded in the national capital, an elderly NRI couple has been defrauded of ₹1.5 crore in what is being described as a harrowing "digital arrest." The couple, who recently returned to India from the United Kingdom, recounted their two-week ordeal, stating that their "biggest mistake was choosing to retire in Delhi." The scammers, posing as high-ranking officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), kept the victims under constant surveillance via Skype and WhatsApp video calls for 14 straight days.

The nightmare began when the couple received a call alleging that a bank account in their name had been used for international money laundering and drug trafficking. To "clear their names," the fraudsters convinced them that they were under "legal digital arrest" and were forbidden from contacting family, friends, or local police. Over the next two weeks, the elderly victims were coerced into sharing their financial details and transferring their entire life savings into "verification accounts" provided by the criminals, under the guise of a "secret government audit."

The fraud only came to light when the couple's daughter, unable to reach them for several days, alerted a family friend in Delhi to visit their residence. By the time the "digital arrest" was broken, the money had already been laundered through a network of shell accounts across the country and abroad. The Delhi Police's IFSO (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) unit has registered a case and is tracing the money trail, but officers admit that the prolonged nature of the scam gave the perpetrators a significant head start. The case has sparked renewed warnings about the "digital arrest" phenomenon, which specifically targets senior citizens by exploiting their fear of legal repercussions and their unfamiliarity with modern cyber-protocols.