A 52-year-old Bhandara man allegedly lost Rs 11.50 lakh after fraudsters posing as Mumbai ATS officers placed him under a fake ‘digital arrest’. They allegedly claimed his bank account was linked to Rs 7 crore in terror-related transactions and forced him to transfer his savings. Cyber police are investigating the fraud.

A cyber fraud victim was allegedly threatened with arrest and forced to transfer his savings during a fake investigation | AI Generated Representational Image

Mumbai, September 18, 2026: A 52-year-old man has become a victim of a sophisticated cyber fraud network, losing Rs 11.50 lakh after being placed under a fake "digital arrest" for over two weeks.

The scammer posed as an officer from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Mumbai and falsely told the victim that a bank account registered in his name in Jammu & Kashmir had recorded transactions worth Rs 7 crores, which were allegedly linked to the Pulwama terror attack. Exploiting the victim's fear, the scammer induced him to transfer money in different beneficiary bank accounts.

According to the police, the victim, who hails from Bhandara, was targeted on August 12, when he received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as a Mumbai ATS officer.

The fraudster falsely claimed that a bank account registered in the victim's name in Jammu & Kashmir had recorded transactions worth Rs 7 crores, which were allegedly linked to the Pulwama terror attack.

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The fraudsters sent him forged law enforcement documents via WhatsApp, threatening immediate arrest of his entire family without bail.

Victim Kept Under Digital Surveillance

The victim was ordered into a strict "home quarantine", forced to keep his mobile video camera active, and mandated to check in every hour. Under severe psychological duress and isolated from his family, the victim disclosed his financial details.

Over a period of four days, he transferred his life savings of Rs 11.50 lakh across three major transactions to accounts provided by the scammers under the guise of an "RBI verification procedure."

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Fraud Came To Light On August 28

The ordeal finally came to light on August 28, when the caller demanded that the victim liquidate his family’s gold jewellery to deposit more cash. Realising he had been systematically cheated, the teacher approached the police and got an offence registered in the matter.

Cyber police have initiated an investigation to trace the fraudulent bank accounts and the digital footprints of the accused.

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