Metro India News | nizamabad

A 78-year-old man and his wife from Nizamabad, Telangana, were held under "digital arrest" for nearly 50 hours after being targeted in a cyber fraud, police said on Wednesday. Fraudsters, posing as Mumbai Police officials, claimed the man's Aadhaar was linked to a bank account involved in money laundering. From 9 AM on August 31 to 11:30 AM on September 2, the couple was kept under constant video surveillance and manipulated into compliance.

To gain credibility, the scammers sent fake legal notices using names of the Supreme Court, CBI, RBI, and TRAI. On the pretext of verifying transactions, the man was coerced into transferring over Rs. 30 lakh. Fake payment receipts from RBI and the Enforcement Directorate were also shared.

The fraudsters then tried to convince him to pledge gold ornaments. When he approached a friend for help, the friend sensed fraud and promptly contacted the 1930 cybercrime helpline and Nizamabad Cyber Crime Police.

Thanks to swift action, officials stopped the gold loan attempt and successfully froze Rs 20 lakh of the stolen funds, said Telangana Cyber Security Bureau Director Shikha Goel. She urged the public to stay alert and avoid responding to suspicious calls. The investigation to trace the culprits is ongoing.