LOST MONEY IN DIGITAL SCАМ? DON'T LOSE HOPE

In the age of instant payments and digital convenience, comfort comes at a cost, which has been heartbreakingly high for many. According to a report, India lost a staggering ₹23,074 crore to digital fraud in 2024 alone. The Capital city, Delhi, reported a loss of ₹400 crore between January and May 2025 alone.

- Medha Shri Dahiya

During the course of this special feature, we spoke to at least 50 people, and each one had either been scammed themself, or knew someone who had been. What should you do if you've been defrauded? Can you get your money back? Who do you report to? In this special feature, we explore protocols, review cases where money has been recovered, and speak to police officers heading the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) wing, a specialised unit that handles cyber crimes.

Victims have not been named on request for privacy

An 85-year-old man from Delhi lost ₹1.12 crore to cybercriminals who first scared him by claiming his name had come up in a high-profile money laundering case linked to an airline owner. When he denied knowing the person, another fraudster posing as a CBI officer joined a video call. The gang told him they were part of a secret team formed on government orders to catch the kingpin, whose gang had allegedly kidnapped and murdered 11 children. Another impersonator posing as the Chief Justice of India also joined the call and convinced the victim he was helping the government in a covert mission. Trusting them, the victim went to his bank and transferred the money to another account in the same bank.

Thankfully, a vigilant bank employee at the receiving branch flagged the suspicious account and alerted the victim's branch, helping him recover the money.