Mumbai to China parcel: How an engineer lost Rs 10 crore to Digital Arrest that went on for 19 days

A Rohini-based retired engineer has become the latest victim of an online scam, losing a huge sum of Rs 10 crore over a period of 19 days. The incident serves as a reminder of the growing threat of "digital arrest" scams and the importance of online vigilance.
A 77-year old retired engineer from Rohini recently revealed that his ordeal began on September 25, when he received a call from a courier company. "I usually don't take calls from unknown numbers, but unfortunately, I did that day," he told TOI.
The caller, impersonating a courier company representative, informed the engineer about a suspicious parcel addressed to him, originating from Mumbai and routed for China. The engineer, denying any knowledge of the parcel, was then connected to a purported Mumbai Police officer.
The victim then received a video call in which he saw a man sitting in front of a Mumbai Police logo. The officer explained the alleged parcel scam and requested the victim's bank details for verification. The call was then transferred to another individual, who posed as a senior CBI officer, further pressurising the victim.
"He instructed me to move to a private room to avoid eavesdropping and asked me several questions. Then, he showed me documents, including one with my Aadhaar details and another ordering me not to leave the country,” said the victim.
The victim also revealed that the officer on the other end of the call warned him not to disclose the incident to his children or anyone else, threatening they would also face trouble.
"They claimed my phone was under surveillance," he said.
The following day, the victim was connected to an individual claiming to be an Enforcement Directorate officer. The officer assured the victim of assistance in the matter, further deepening the victim's trust and confusion. Over the next 19 days, the scammers, maintaining their control over the victim, instructed him to transfer Rs 10.3 crore in three installments.
On October 14th, the scammers introduced a new twist, claiming that the victim's brother was implicated in the investigation. This further pressured the victim, forcing him to involve his brother. Fortunately, the brother recognised the scam and convinced the victim to cease further payments.
He filed a complaint with the Rohini district police cyber cell. "I had had time to talk about the incident with my family and the cops, but I remained frightened. Even my wife was scared," he said.