Digital arrest scams drop 75% in 2025, Hyderabad cops urge senior citizens to be cautious

Steep decline in reported cases

According to officials, in 2024, there were 140 digital arrest cases reported between January and June, while 214 cases were registered from July to December. Due to increased alertness among citizens, the first half of 2025 has recorded only 34 cases, marking a more than 75 per cent reduction.

Senior citizens being targeted

Police observations revealed that most victims were senior citizens aged between 60 and 80 years, who are highly educated and retired professionals. In most instances, their children were found to be living or working abroad, making them vulnerable to psychological manipulation and isolation tactics employed by fraudsters.

Modus operandi

Fraudsters usually pose as officers from agencies such as CBI, Customs, DRI, ED, NCB and police departments, calling the victims to inform them that their mobile number or Aadhaar card is linked to serious criminal cases like money laundering, drug peddling or smuggling of contraband.

They often send fake arrest warrants, fabricated court orders, or forged letters from TRAI to create fear of impending arrest.

The victims are threatened with non-bailable arrest warrants, job loss, imprisonment and reputational damage.

Under such psychological pressure and coercion, they are instructed to liquidate all their assets within 24 hours over a 2-3 hour video call. Scammers force them to withdraw fixed deposits prematurely, take loans against gold or obtain personal loans to transfer money to scam accounts.

Recent cases reported

An 84-year-old man loses Rs 44 lakh

On April 5, an 84-year-old resident of Secunderabad received a call accusing him of involvement in illegal activities. He was connected to another person posing as an IPS officer and manipulated into depositing Rs 44 lakh under the pretext of a money laundering investigation.

Police arrested Tauqeeb Raza, Rahil Imam and Ali Asad, all from Jharkhand. The seized property included four mobile phones, two cheque books, two shell company stamps, two SIM cards, one swiping machine and two memory cards.

Hyderabad woman defrauded of Rs 38.7 lakh

In another case, on March 29, a 69-year-old woman from Hyderabad was contacted by someone posing as a TRAI official and a Mumbai police officer.

She was informed that her number was linked to criminal activities, including money laundering and human trafficking and coerced to transfer her liquid assets totalling Rs 38.7 lakh under the threat of digital arrest. Police arrested Arbaz Pasha from Bengaluru South, Karnataka, and seized one mobile phone.

Detailed scam process

The police explained that the scam typically involves a series of steps. First, the victim receives a call from fraudsters impersonating law enforcement or judicial officers.

Once the victim responds, they are connected to multiple pseudo officials posing as DCPs or agency officers. Fraudsters create a false narrative linking the victim to serious crimes and issue threats of non-bailable warrants and severe punishment.

Victims are coerced into liquidating assets and transferring money under the guise of submitting it to the Supreme Court as proof of innocence. They are instructed not to use their bank accounts without the fraudster’s permission and are kept under surveillance through continuous video calls to prevent them from seeking advice from family or friends.

Police advisory

The Hyderabad Police issued an advisory urging citizens to remain vigilant against such scams. They stated that no government agency conducts investigations or arrests via video calls.

Citizens were advised:

- Do not trust unknown callers claiming to be from law enforcement agencies

- Never share OTPs, Aadhaar, or bank account details

- Never transfer money under threats of arrest or court cases

- Record suspicious calls or preserve screenshots for evidence

- Verify any claims independently by contacting official agency helplines or local police stations directly

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