Senior citizens aged between 53 and 89 have emerged as the primary targets. Elderly victims in the 70–89 age group proved particularly vulnerable, with some individuals above 80 years old losing between ₹3 crore and ₹4 crore to these scams Chandigarh: Cyber criminals duped Chandigarh residents of around ₹8 crore through ‘digital arrest’ scams in the first ten months of 2026, with the Cyber Crime Cell receiving 28 complaints and registering seven FIRs between Jan 1 and Oct 31.While police claim to have solved individual cases and arrested several operatives across the country, law enforcement agencies have yet to apprehend the kingpins running these syndicate networks.The number of digital arrest complaints in 2026 has already surpassed the 16 cases reported in 2025. However, total financial losses were higher during the corresponding period last year, when victims lost nearly ₹10.3 crore.Senior citizens aged between 53 and 89 have emerged as the primary targets. Elderly victims in the 70–89 age group proved particularly vulnerable, with some individuals above 80 years old losing between ₹3 crore and ₹4 crore to these scams.Digital arrest is an extortion scheme using psychological intimidation rather than official detention. Fraudsters impersonate officials from agencies such as the Police, CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), or TRAI, falsely accusing victims of money laundering, drug trafficking, or illegal parcel shipments.To execute the fraud, criminals force victims to remain on 24-hour video calls under constant camera surveillance while isolating them from family and friends. Scammers enhance their credibility by broadcasting from setups resembling fake police stations, govt offices, or courtrooms while wearing uniforms and displaying forged identity cards.Once victims are intimidated, fraudsters demand money under the guise of account verification, security deposits, bail, or case settlements, forcing transfers into multiple shell accounts.Major digital arrest cases reported in the city during 2026 highlight the massive scale of these extortion schemes. In June, fraudsters impersonating govt officials placed a couple under video surveillance for hours, siphoning off ₹2.1 crore, while on Oct 17, a retired UT administration employee and his wife were duped of ₹1.9 crore by scammers posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers. Other significant incidents include a Sector 20 retired teacher losing ₹48 lakh in Sept to fake NIA and police personnel, and an Aug fraud involving ₹9.5 lakh that led to the arrest of Howrah resident Raj Kumar Shah. Earlier in Jan, police apprehended several interstate operatives connected to two separate digital arrest cases involving losses of ₹38 lakh and ₹85 lakh.
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