An audacious cyber fraud held an elderly NRI doctor couple under a so-called “digital arrest” for over two weeks. They were coerced into transferring Rs 14.85 crore to multiple accounts while believing they were under official investigation.
Dr Om Taneja and his wife, Dr Indira Taneja, both retired doctors who spent nearly five decades in the United States working with the United Nations, returned to India in 2015 and had since devoted themselves to charitable causes. That lifetime of savings was wiped out after cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officers trapped the couple in an elaborate web of fear, intimidation and constant surveillance.
The fraud began on December 24, 2025, when the scammers contacted the couple and threatened them with arrest warrants and criminal proceedings, falsely invoking laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and alleging links to money laundering and national security violations. The callers warned that any attempt to contact others would worsen their legal situation.
For more than two weeks, the fraudsters kept the couple under continuous video calls — a tactic police now describe as “digital arrest.” During this period, 77-year-old Dr Indira Taneja was forced to make repeated bank transfers to eight different accounts. The amounts varied from Rs 2 crore to over Rs 2.10 crore per transaction, eventually adding up to Rs 14.85 crore.
According to her statement, the scammers monitored her movements closely. If she stepped outside or attempted to make a phone call, they immediately initiated a video call on her husband’s phone to ensure she remained under watch. Before every bank visit, she was given a rehearsed explanation to offer bank staff if questioned about the unusually large transfers. Even when a bank manager raised concerns, she followed the script provided by the fraudsters.
The deception unravelled on January 10, when the callers instructed her to visit her local police station, claiming the Reserve Bank of India would refund the money and that police had been informed. She went to the station while still on a video call with the scammers and even allowed them to speak to the station house officer. According to the complaint, the callers spoke rudely to police personnel, further exposing the brazenness of the scam.
It was only at the police station that the magnitude of the fraud became clear and the promise of a refund was revealed to be fictitious. The couple is said to be traumatised after losing their entire life savings.
Delhi Police has registered a case and transferred the investigation to the Special Cell’s cyber unit, the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO), underscoring the seriousness of a crime that highlights how sophisticated cyber frauds are increasingly targeting elderly and unsuspecting citizens under the guise of state authority.
Also Read: Gujarat Police Arrest 17, Including Four Taiwanese, for ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-police-arrest-17-including-four-taiwanese-for-digital-arrest-scam/
