Bhubaneswar: In a chilling incident of cyber fraud, an elderly couple were held under ‘digital arrest’ for nearly 35 hours in Nayapalli area in Bhubaneswar. Cyber criminals posing as police officials attempted to extort Rs 1 crore from a retired officer from National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and his wife, a retired lecturer but failed as the couple sensed fraud and approached the police.
The scam began on February 9 when the couple received a call from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be a Patna-based police officer, alleged that a terrorist named Qarim Khan had misused their Aadhaar cards for fraudulent activities. He accused them of having terror links and informed them that an arrest warrant had been issued. Showing fake police outfits on video calls, the fraudsters threatened immediate arrest and warned the couple not to leave their home without permission.
Terrified by the grave accusations, the retired officer and his wife remained confined indoors for over a day and a half. The scammers escalated demands, insisting on ₹1 crore to “settle” the case and prevent legal action. They even claimed the couple held an account in Jammu & Kashmir HDFC Bank linked to the fraud.
The victim woman later recounted: “I always advised people about such scams, but I’m stunned I couldn’t figure it out when it happened to me. They threatened arrest and showed police uniforms. We were frightened and almost accepted their demands.”
The turning point came when the couple visited their bank to transfer the money. Bank officials informed them that the provided account was inactive. Suspicious, they made inquiries and realized it was a scam. They immediately contacted the cyber police, averting a major financial loss.
Police have registered a case and urged citizens, particularly senior citizens, to stay vigilant against ‘digital arrest’ tactics. Police emphasized verifying suspicious calls through official channels and never sharing personal or financial details over the phone.
