The Digital Arrest Nightmare: How a Delhi Doctor Couple Lost Rs 14.85 Crore

​In a city as busy as Delhi, danger doesn't always come from a dark alleyway. Sometimes, it arrives through a simple phone call. For an elderly NRI doctor couple living in the upscale Greater Kailash area, a series of phone calls turned their quiet retirement into a two-week-long psychological prison. By the time the ordeal was over, they had lost Rs 14.85 crore—their entire life's savings—to a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam.

​The victims, Dr. Om Taneja (81) and his wife Dr. Indira Taneja (77), had spent nearly 48 years in the United States serving with the United Nations. They returned to India in 2015 to spend their sunset years doing charitable work. Instead, they became targets of a cybercrime network that exploited their honesty and fear of the law.

​The Trap: A Call from "TRAI" and "Mumbai Police"

​The nightmare began on December 24, 2025. It was around noon when Dr. Indira Taneja received a call from someone claiming to be an official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The voice on the other end was professional and firm. He informed her that her mobile number was being disconnected immediately because it had been used to send "obscene and illegal messages" to 26 people.

​Before she could process the shock, the caller "transferred" her to the Mumbai Police to "clear her name." Suddenly, she was on a video call with a man dressed in a convincing police uniform. Behind him was a backdrop that looked exactly like a real police station, complete with banners of the "Colaba Police Station." This man, who identified himself as Vikrant Singh Rajput, told her something even more terrifying: she was a prime suspect in a massive money-laundering case involving a Canara Bank account linked to national security.

​What is a "Digital Arrest"?

​The term "digital arrest" is a fiction created by scammers to paralyze their victims. In reality, no law enforcement agency in India—whether it is the CBI, Police, or the ED—will ever arrest someone over a video call or ask them to stay online for "surveillance."

​However, the scammers used high-pressure tactics to make the couple believe they were in actual legal custody. They were told they were under "digital arrest" and were forbidden from contacting their children, who are settled abroad, or even their neighbors. They were warned that if they disconnected the call or told anyone, they would be physically arrested and face public shame.

​Two Weeks of Psychological Torture

​From December 24 until the morning of January 10, the couple was kept under constant surveillance. The scammers forced them to keep their phone or laptop cameras on 24/7. Even at night, the video call remained active. If Dr. Indira’s phone ran out of battery, the fraudsters would immediately call her husband’s phone to ensure she plugged it back in.

​The psychological pressure was relentless. The scammers knew that Dr. Om Taneja had recently undergone surgery at AIIMS and was physically weak. They used this vulnerability to isolate the couple further. Whenever Dr. Indira had to go to the bank to transfer money, the scammers would stay on a voice call with her, listening to every word she said to the bank staff. They even "coached" her on what lies to tell the bank officials to explain why she was moving such huge sums of money.

​The Financial Drain: 14.85 Crore Vanishes

​Under the guise of a "Supreme Court-supervised verification," the scammers told the couple that they needed to move their funds into "government-safe accounts." They promised that once the "investigation" was over, every penny would be refunded with an official certificate from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

​Terrified and exhausted, Dr. Indira made multiple RTGS transfers to eight different bank accounts provided by the criminals. The amounts were staggering—Rs 2 crore, Rs 2.1 crore, and even Rs 2.5 crore at a time. In total, the couple transferred Rs 14.85 crore. The scammers even sent fake documents over WhatsApp, complete with forged stamps of the Supreme Court and the CBI, to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

​The Breaking Point and the Realization

​The ordeal only ended when the scammers realized they had drained the couple’s accounts. On January 10, the "officials" told Dr. Indira that the investigation was complete and she should visit her local police station to collect her refund and the "clearance certificate" from the RBI.

​When she reached the police station and explained her situation to the real officers, the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. There was no "digital arrest." There was no money-laundering case. The people on the screen were actors, and her life's savings were gone. Dr. Om Taneja later told the media that their "biggest mistake" was not reaching out to the police the moment that first call arrived.

​Why the Elderly and NRIs are Targets

​Cybercrime experts point out that scammers specifically target elderly people and NRIs for several reasons:

• ​Isolation: Many elderly couples live alone while their children are abroad. This makes it easier for scammers to isolate them.

• ​Fear of Authority: This generation often has deep respect for—and fear of—law enforcement, making them more likely to comply with "police" orders.

• ​Wealth: Retired professionals often have significant savings or provident funds, making them "high-value" targets for a single, large-scale heist.

​How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

​This tragic story is a wake-up call for everyone. To stay safe, remember these golden rules:

1. ​Police do not use Video Calls for Arrests: No official agency will ever investigate you or "arrest" you over WhatsApp or Skype.

2. ​Never Transfer Money for "Verification": The government will never ask you to move your money into a private account to prove your innocence.

3. ​Break the Silence: Scammers rely on secrecy. If someone tells you "not to tell your family," that is the biggest red flag. Call your children or a trusted friend immediately.

4. ​Use the 1930 Helpline: If you suspect a scam, immediately call the National Cybercrime Helpline at 1930 or report it at cybercrime.gov.in.

​The Delhi Police’s IFSO unit is currently investigating the money trail, but recovering funds once they are moved through multiple "mule" accounts is incredibly difficult. For the Taneja family, the loss is not just financial—it is the loss of the peace and security they worked decades to build.