Delhi police are facing a growing challenge in protecting elderly residents from cyber fraud as victims are increasingly persuaded to ignore warnings, transfer large sums and avoid contact with their families or the authorities, according to a report by Jagran – New Delhi published on October 14.
The cases involve alleged investment fraud, threats of digital arrest and calls made in the name of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Police officers told the publication that fraudsters do more than obtain money: they psychologically pressure victims to such an extent that some refuse to believe police officials who try to stop the transactions.
In one case, an investigation by Tamil Nadu cyber police into a suspected fraud network led investigators to a bank account in Shahdara around two months before the report. Delhi police traced the account to a 70-year-old retired chief engineer living in Dwarka. Officers contacted him after suspecting that he could be a victim and advised him to withdraw his investment money. He reportedly said he had invested in the US stock market and refused to withdraw the funds or file a complaint, citing a fall in the market.
Another case came to light after a bank informed police that an elderly woman had been depositing between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh into different accounts each day for two consecutive days. When officers reached her, she refused to speak to them and said she was depositing money into an Income Tax Department account. She had also been instructed not to speak to anyone. Police later found that fraudsters had allegedly threatened to seize her property and arrest her, while also warning that her son would be arrested. After the police persuaded her and called her son from Bengaluru, she agreed to file a complaint.
In a third case, a bank alerted police after an elderly woman deposited a cheque of about Rs 1 crore for transfer to another account. The woman lived alone, while both her daughters were abroad. The money had entered her account after she sold land a few months earlier. When she refused to speak to the police, officers contacted one of her daughters, following which she agreed to approach the cyber police station. The intervention helped prevent the transfer of the money.
The investigation found that the woman had allegedly received a call from people claiming to represent the RBI. They told her that money linked to drug trafficking had been detected in her account and instructed her to deposit the entire amount into an RBI account for verification. The callers allegedly promised to return the money with interest after completing the investigation within 48 hours and threatened that the funds would otherwise be seized.
The cases show how cyber-fraud investigations increasingly require coordination between banks, police stations and family members, particularly when victims are living alone or are being isolated by callers. In the reported incidents, bank alerts and intervention by relatives gave police an opportunity to interrupt transfers before the money was lost.
Delhi police are continuing to investigate the suspected fraud networks and the accounts used to receive funds. The report did not provide details of arrests or recoveries in these three cases.
