Summary: An 81-year-old retired businessman in Hyderabad lost over Rs 7 crore to a “Digital Arrest” scam. Fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police and customer care officials placed the victim under “virtual surveillance” for weeks, extorting life savings under the threat of bogus drug-trafficking charges.
Business Impact: These highly personalized scams are moving from individuals to high-net-worth executives. The loss of Rs 7 crore from a single individual demonstrates the power of AI-tailored social engineering to dismantle even sophisticated victims’ defenses.
Why It Happened: Scammers use “Video Call Interrogation” techniques to create extreme psychological pressure, preventing victims from contacting family or lawyers.
Recommended Executive Action: Conduct a specialized “High-Value Target” (HVT) briefing for your C-suite and their families. Emphasize that no government agency will ever “digitally arrest” someone via WhatsApp or demand money over a video call.
Hashtags: #DigitalArrest #ScamAlert #SocialEngineering #FinancialFraud #CyberHygiene #Vishing