Couple loses ₹14cr to 'digital arrest'

Not informing the police was their biggest mistake, rued Om Taneja on Sunday after he and his wife lost Rs 14.85 crore following so-called "digital arrest" by fraudsters.

- PTI

Om Taneja (81) and his wife Indira (77), a doctor, were placed under digital arrest for more than 15 days by cyber fraudsters who impersonated officials from telecom and law enforcement agencies.

The elderly couple living in south Delhi's Greater Kailash says not informing police about their ordeal was a grave mistake.

"The cyber fraudsters repeatedly threatened us with arrest and serious consequences," Om Taneja told PTI.

The fraud was perpetrated from December 24 to January 9, during which the couple was forced to remain on audio and video calls continuously, believing themselves to be under "digital arrest", and coerced into transferring money to multiple bank accounts in the name of verification, police said.

An e-FIR has been registered and the cyber crime unit of the Delhi Police has taken up the investigation.

Police said the couple had returned to India after working for decades in the United States and were residing in Greater Kailash since 2016. Their children are settled abroad.