In connection with the digital arrest scam involving 58 crore rupees, the Maharashtra Police have arrested seven people linked to the fraud. Maharashtra Cyber, the state’s nodal agency for tackling cybercrime, revealed that the masterminds behind the scam used over 6,500 fake bank accounts, spread across 13 layers, to launder the stolen money. These accounts were opened under the names of bogus companies. The case was registered by Maharashtra Cyber after a 72-year-old businessman from Mumbai reported that he had been digitally arrested and defrauded of a large sum of money.

Digital arrest is an emerging form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers or government officials and threaten victims over audio or video calls. They virtually detain the victims and coerce them into transferring money.

In the case of the 72-year-old businessman, the fraudsters conducted fake court proceedings and police interrogations over video calls, tricking him into transferring 58.13 crore rupees over 40 days, wiping out his entire life savings.