67-Year-Old Hyderabad Man Duped of ₹4 Lakh in Fake PFI Link Digital Arrest Scam

A 67-year-old retired insurance company employee in Hyderabad lost ₹4 lakh after cyber fraudsters targeted him in an elaborate digital arrest scam, falsely claiming he had links to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

The fraud began when the complainant received a phone call from an individual claiming to represent the Data Protection Board of India. The caller alleged that a mobile SIM card issued under the victim's name had been used to carry out criminal activities.

When the senior citizen denied owning the SIM card, the caller transferred the call to an accomplice who impersonated a Mumbai police officer. The fraudsters made the victim believe he had been placed under "digital arrest" and claimed he was under formal investigation for money laundering and other criminal offences. Under this pretext, the callers pressured him into sharing his banking details.

The impersonators intensified the intimidation by claiming that an ATM card belonging to the victim had been recovered during enforcement searches conducted against the top leadership of the PFI, including former PFI chairperson OMA Salam.

Despite the complainant repeatedly stating that he did not know the individuals named and had no connection with them, the fraudsters moved him to a video call. On the video call, another individual posed as an IPS officer to interrogate him, subjecting him to severe stress before swindling ₹4 lakh from him.