Chennai, Nov 11
Panic spread through a quiet neighbourhood in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore after a 65-year-old man and his wife were allegedly "digitally arrested" and confined inside their home for nearly two days by cybercriminals posing as officials from the Defence Ministry and Mumbai Police.
The elderly couple, residents of Ramanathapuram, received a distressing phone call from a man claiming to be an official from the Ministry of Defence in Mumbai.
The caller falsely alleged that the man's Aadhaar number was linked to bank transactions involving terrorist groups and said the matter was under investigation.
To "verify" his financial records, the caller demanded details of the couple's bank accounts.
Soon after, another individual appeared on a video call dressed in a police uniform and identified himself as an officer from the Mumbai Police cybercrime wing.
Claiming that the couple was being "digitally arrested" for suspected terror links, he warned them not to leave their house.
The fraudster even told them that armed police personnel were stationed outside and would shoot them if they stepped out.
Under immense fear, the couple complied with the instructions, staying indoors continuously for two days.
The scammers ordered them to transfer Rs 18 lakh to a so-called "official verification account" and threatened them not to disconnect the video call.
The terrified couple remained confined inside, barely moving around or using the restroom, but fortunately refrained from transferring any money.
Their prolonged absence eventually alarmed neighbours, who alerted the Ramanathapuram police.
Officers reached the spot and, after knocking repeatedly, found the elderly pair deeply frightened and convinced they had been arrested by Mumbai Police.
The local police reassured them that no such thing as a "digital arrest" exists and confirmed there were no armed personnel outside.
Cybercrime officials later confirmed that the entire incident was a sophisticated online scam.
Since the victims did not transfer the money, they narrowly escaped losing their life savings.
Police have launched an investigation to trace the fraudsters and urged the public to remain vigilant against such tactics.
The incident has sparked concern in Coimbatore, underscoring the growing menace of cyber frauds that prey on elderly citizens through fear and deception.
- IANS
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