The investigation into the ₹24-crore “digital arrest” scam involving a retired teacher in Bengaluru has now revealed links to the massive ₹15.45 crore cyber fraud reported in Belagavi, exposing what police suspect is a wider interstate cybercrime syndicate.
According to the Karnataka State Cyber Command (KSCC), two accused arrested in the Bengaluru case — Palak Bhai Patel and Amit Narendra Patel from Ahmedabad — are also allegedly connected to the Belagavi “digital arrest” fraud in which an 81-year-old businessman was cheated of over ₹15 crore.
Based on inputs shared by Bengaluru cybercrime police, the Belagavi CEN Police secured body warrants against the duo and took them into custody for further questioning.
Investigators believe the accused were part of an organised network involved in:
- impersonating officials from agencies such as the CBI and ED,
- operating mule bank accounts,
- and laundering money collected through cyber frauds across multiple states.
The Belagavi victim had been threatened by fraudsters posing as CBI officials, who falsely claimed he was linked to a money laundering case involving former Jet Airways CEO Naresh Goyal. Fearing arrest, the elderly businessman transferred ₹15.45 crore in phases between February 7 and March 9.
The Bengaluru case followed a similar pattern. Fraudsters allegedly kept a 74-year-old retired teacher under so-called “digital arrest” for several weeks and coerced her into transferring nearly ₹24 crore through 26 transactions into multiple bank accounts across the country.
Police investigations have revealed that several accused are linked to multiple cybercrime cases nationwide, further strengthening suspicions of a coordinated interstate fraud racket.
Authorities have once again warned the public that there is no legal concept called “digital arrest” and urged citizens not to transfer money based on threats received over phone or video calls.