Chandigarh: Elderly Couple Loses 3.41 Crore rupees in Digital Arrest Scam
Chandigarh: Elderly Couple Loses 3.41 Crore rupees in Digital Arrest Scam, latest news: In another digital arrest scam, an 82-year-old retired army officer, Colonel Dalip Singh, and his 74-year-old wife, Ravinder Kaur Bajwa, fell prey to online fraud on March 18.
The elderly couple, residents of Sector 2-A, Chandigarh, reportedly lost 3.41 crore ruppes to a scammer impersonating an Enforcement Directorate (ED) official.
According to Hindustan Times, on March 18, Ravinder Kaur Bajwa received a call from an unknown number, accusing her of being involved in a money laundering case. The scammer falsely claimed that she had sold her bank account details to the jailed owner of Jet Airways for ₹5 lakh and had also received ₹20 lakh as a commission for laundering ₹2 crore.
To make the scam appear legitimate, the fraudster displayed his ATM card over phone call and claimed to be investigating a ₹5,038-crore scam. He also shared photos of 24 alleged victims, falsely asserting that one had died by suicide and that a whistleblower’s family had been murdered by Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal.
The scammer further alleged that the Supreme Court had issued an arrest warrant against them.
10-Day Digital Arrest and Fund Transfers
The couple was ordered to visit Mumbai for interrogation, but when Bajwa said he could not travel due to his age, the scammer arranged an "online inquiry," involving 15 questions related to Naresh Goyal’s case.
From March 18 to March 27, the couple was placed under "digital arrest." On March 20, they were forced to reveal their account balances. Using fake arrest warrants and account freezing notices, the scammer pressured them to transfer funds via Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS).
Bajwa then made multiple transactions to different accounts. Later, the scammer forced him to break his wife’s fixed deposits to "close the fabricated case."
Scam Exposed & Police Action
Bajwa was kept on call 24/7 throughout the ordeal. He later realized he had been scammed and approached the Cybercrime Police Station in Chandigarh, filing a complaint on April 1.
So far, Chandigarh police have managed to recover ₹6 lakh from the stolen funds.
Authorities urge the public to stay cautious and report any suspicious calls to the Cybercrime Helpline (1930).
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