Raipur: A grocery store owner in Raipur was allegedly kept under a 44-day “digital arrest” by cyber fraudsters who posed as CBI and IPS officers and threatened him with arrest in connection with a purported ₹6.8-crore money-laundering case. The suspects allegedly extracted ₹8.5 lakh through nine digital transactions from the victim.
The incident began on August 18, when the victim, a resident of Bajrang Nagar in Urkura, received a call from a woman who allegedly told him that his bank account was connected to a money-laundering case. The call was subsequently transferred to other people who sought information about his family, property and bank accounts.
Fraudsters Allegedly Impersonated CBI and IPS Officers
According to the complaint, one of the callers claimed to be a CBI officer, while another allegedly identified himself as an IPS officer. They told the victim that ₹6.8 crore had been laundered through an ICICI Bank account in his name and threatened him and his family with arrest if he did not comply with their instructions.
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The callers allegedly kept the victim under surveillance through video calls and demanded regular updates. His wife was also allegedly required to remain present during the calls.
The fraudsters reportedly instructed the victim to transfer money as part of a purported verification process. Between September 4 and October 1, he made nine transfers totalling ₹8.5 lakh through PhonePe to multiple accounts. According to the reports, he used his savings and sold gold jewellery to arrange the money.
Victim Approaches Police After 44 Days
The victim continued following the callers’ instructions until October 3, when he informed his younger brother about the calls and payments.
He approached Khamtarai police station on October 4 and submitted bank statements, chats, messages and transaction records to investigators. Police have registered a case against unidentified suspects and are examining the financial and digital trail.
Investigators are examining the bank accounts that received the money, along with phone records, chats and transaction receipts, to identify those involved in the alleged cyber fraud.
Digital Arrest Scams Use Fake Investigations to Extort Money
In “digital arrest” scams, fraudsters commonly impersonate law-enforcement or government officials and claim that the victim is linked to a criminal investigation. They then use threats of arrest, video surveillance or demands for “verification” to pressure victims into transferring money.
The CBI has previously investigated organised cyber-fraud networks involving mule bank accounts used to move proceeds from digital-arrest and other impersonation scams. In 2025, the agency said it had identified around 8.5 lakh mule accounts across more than 700 bank branches in a nationwide probe.
