Hyderabad Police has issued a fresh public advisory on 14 October 2026 warning citizens against the growing menace of digital arrest fraud, after a 72-year-old woman from Nampally, Hyderabad lost ₹2.20 crore to cyber criminals who impersonated a CBI officer and threatened her with fake money laundering charges. The case is part of a cluster of recent incidents in which victims collectively lost ₹3.15 crore to the same type of scam.

How the Nampally Woman Was Defrauded

The victim received a video call from an individual falsely claiming to be a CBI officer, who alleged that a parcel containing illegal drugs had been booked in her name and that a bank account linked to her was under money laundering investigation. The caller displayed a fabricated arrest warrant and threatened imminent arrest.

Under sustained pressure, the woman was coerced into transferring money in multiple instalments to different mule accounts. Her total financial loss amounted to ₹2.20 crore. Investigators say this case, along with a couple of other recent incidents, prompted the latest police advisory.

How the Scam Works: Modus Operandi

M. Srinivasulu, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes and SIT), Hyderabad, outlined the mechanics of the fraud in a press release on Wednesday. Fraudsters contact victims via phone calls, WhatsApp, SMS, or video calls and impersonate officers of the Police, CBI, ED, NCB, Customs, TRAI, or other government agencies.

They fabricate official-looking props — fake identity cards, forged notices, letterheads with agency logos, and even a simulated police station backdrop with uniforms visible during video calls. Victims are falsely accused of involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering, terror financing, identity theft, or illegal transactions.

Critically, the victim is ordered to remain on a continuous video call, stay alone in a room with the camera on, and is explicitly forbidden from contacting family members, lawyers, or anyone else. Any deviation is met with threats of immediate arrest, handcuffing, or reputational harm, according to the Additional Commissioner.

The Escalation Trap

Once the victim is isolated, fraudsters demand bank statements, account balances, identity documents, and investment details. They then instruct the victim to transfer money under the guise of security deposits, bail, or temporary fund verification — promising to return the amount after checks are complete.

If the available funds fall short, victims are reportedly pressured to break fixed deposits, encash security bonds, or even apply for bank loans. After extracting money, the fraudsters invent new charges to demand further payments, before eventually blocking the victim and disappearing.

Police Advisory: What Citizens Should Do

Srinivasulu stressed that no government agency or law enforcement authority will ever demand money over a phone or video call. He confirmed that there is no legal concept of 'digital arrest' or online inquiry in India's judicial or law enforcement framework.

Citizens are urged to end suspicious calls immediately and contact the relevant agency through officially published contact details. Victims should save phone numbers, call logs, WhatsApp chats, video-call records, bank account details, transaction IDs, and screenshots as evidence. Senior citizens and other vulnerable individuals, in particular, should be educated by family members about these tactics.

'If you fall victim to any such cyber fraud, immediate reporting can help in freezing and recovering part or all of your lost amount,' the Additional Commissioner noted.

The Cyber Crime Police Station Hyderabad City, in coordination with local police stations, has conducted several awareness programmes and door-to-door campaigns, which Srinivasulu said have contributed to a measurable reduction in reported digital arrest cases — though a number of incidents continue to be reported.