Mumbai woman loses Rs 20 cr in digital arrest scam; police probe conspiracy

Officials said that both accused are part of an international fraud gang and were directly involved in planning and carrying out the crime

In a case of ‘digital arrest scam’, a Mumbai-based woman lost Rs 20 crore to fraudsters, according to a report by The Indian Express.

 

In December 2024, two men virtually approached the 86-year-old woman in South Mumbai, posing as police officers. They threatened her, claiming that her Aadhaar card had been misused in a money laundering case, and made her transfer money to different bank accounts to settle the case.

 

The police mentioned that the alleged Rs 20.25 crore fraud occurred between December 26, 2024, and March 3, 2025.

 

“The callers claimed that her Aadhar card and other personal information had been used to open a bank account in her name at an Indian bank. They told her that a large-scale money laundering operation had been carried out using this account and that police action was imminent,” an investigating officer told The Indian Express.

 

To scare her, the accused threatened to file a police case against her and her family, including her daughter. They used tricks like a fake ‘digital arrest’ to force her to send money to their accounts.

 

The accused have been identified as Shayan Jamil Sheikh (20) and Rajik Azam Butt residents of Malad (West) and Mira Road (East), respectively. Police have arrested both the accused. 

 

A larger conspiracy

 

Citing police sources, the report mentioned that Butt is suspected to be part of a bigger international scam. Police found that he had made a group with 13 foreigners on the messaging app Telegram. Through this group, he allegedly shared details of Indian bank accounts to help carry out fraud.

 

After arresting Shayan and Rajik, the police checked their mobile phones and discovered Butt’s connection to a global fraud network. Investigators found that he had created the Telegram group to share Indian bank account information with scam leaders in other countries.

 

Officials said that both accused were part of an international fraud gang and were directly involved in planning and carrying out the crime. They are now investigating how many more bank accounts have been given to the masterminds living abroad.