₹23 crore gone in 30 days: How ex-banker was duped in ‘digital arrest’ as cyber fraudsters posed as ED, CBI officials

Naresh Malhotra, a 78-year-old retired banker in Delhi, lost his entire life savings, worth ₹23 crore, to cybercriminals before he finally refused to comply with their demands. He was held under “digital arrest”. The ordeal began on August 4 when he received a call from a man claiming to be a Mumbai Police officer. It continued till September 4, after which the fraudsters stopped contacting him.

He was confined to his home and only allowed out to visit banks to withdraw money, which he was then forced to hand over to the fraudsters, who impersonated officers from the ED and CBI, PTI reported.