Three people from Odisha were detained in a 1.1-crore digital arrest scam.

Three young people from Odisha were arrested by Bidhannagar Cybercrime Police in a major cybercrime bust after they used a sophisticated digital-arrest scam to defraud a 68-year-old retired man out of ₹1.1 crore. The four-day scam included digital coercion through WhatsApp video calls, psychological manipulation, and impersonation.

The incident started when the victim got a call from people claiming to be courier and police officials. They claimed that a package connected to illegal activity had been sent under his name. The con artists said he was being investigated for drug and money laundering offenses and that if he didn’t cooperate, he would be arrested right away.

The scammers used a “virtual arrest” to keep the man under continual WhatsApp video surveillance in order to keep control. Under the guise of “verifying” his financial credibility, he was forced to transfer substantial sums of money to accounts supplied by the scammers over the course of several transactions.

Only after the victim’s wife saw his odd behavior and informed the authorities did the fraud become apparent. Following an investigation, cybercrime officers tracked down the IP logs and transaction trails, which ultimately led to the accused’s arrest in Odisha.

According to police sources, the accused were a part of a wider network that specialized in digital impersonation scams that preyed on the elderly and other vulnerable people. Authorities are collaborating with banks to retrieve money and have frozen several accounts that were used in the scam.

Authorities have advised the public to exercise caution and not answer threatening calls from unidentified individuals. Cyber experts caution that these digital-arrest scams are becoming more common and frequently use urgency and fear to coerce unsuspecting citizens into parting with their money.