Cyber Fraudsters Drain ₹1,250 Crore From Delhi in a Year, Police Say

On a quiet street in Greater Kailash, the losses unfolded not in a single dramatic moment, but over 16 anxious days. An elderly couple, Om Taneja, 81, and his wife Indira, 77, were methodically stripped of nearly ₹14.85 crore—every rupee of their life savings—by cyber fraudsters who never once met them in person. Their case has become a grim emblem of a much larger crisis: according to senior Delhi Police officials, cybercriminals siphoned off an estimated ₹1,250 crore from victims in the capital region over the past year, a sharp rise from ₹1,100 crore in 2024. Nationwide, losses are believed to have reached nearly ₹20,000 crore—an amount comparable to the annual budget of a small Indian state.

Background and Context

The crimes are rarely impulsive. They are planned, scripted and executed with a precision that investigators say mirrors organised financial rackets, operating across borders and time zones. In the Tanejas' case, the trap began with a WhatsApp call to Indira, allegedly from the telecom department. The caller claimed her phone number had been linked to illegal activities. Within hours, the conversation escalated—new voices entered the call, impersonating police and investigators, warning of imminent arrest and dire legal consequences. Police officials say digital arrest scams—along with investment fraud—have emerged as the most damaging forms of cybercrime, particularly for senior citizens. The method works not by hacking systems, but by hijacking trust, authority and the instinct to obey the law.

Key Figures and Entities

The couple were placed under what the fraudsters called "digital arrest," a term with no basis in law but enormous psychological force. Confined to their home by fear rather than force, they were instructed not to contact anyone and to comply fully to "prove" their innocence. Over the next two weeks, they transferred money in chunks of nearly ₹2 crore at a time, liquidating savings accounts and mutual funds. "We have lost all of our life's savings," Om Taneja said later, his voice still marked by disbelief. Investigators say the fraud is rarely local. Most of the operations targeting Delhi are traced to large "scam compounds" in Southeast Asia—particularly Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam—run by Chinese handlers. From there, callers use illegal SIM box devices that mask international calls as domestic Indian numbers, lending them instant credibility.

Legal and Financial Mechanisms

"The calls are actually routed from abroad but appear to be local," a senior police officer explained. "That creates urgency and fear, while making detection far more difficult." Once money is transferred, it vanishes into a maze of mule bank accounts—often opened by economically vulnerable individuals in India who hand over their credentials in exchange for small commissions. Funds are layered, withdrawn and redistributed within hours. Despite these hurdles, police say there has been some progress. Recovery rates in Delhi improved from about 10 percent in 2024 to nearly 24 percent in 2025. Yet for many victims, the money is gone long before help arrives.

International Implications and Policy Response

Authorities insist they are not standing still. Cyber awareness campaigns now target senior citizens through residential welfare associations, banks and digital platforms. A recent two-phase drive, Santa ki Seekh, warned citizens against scanning unknown QR codes and clicking unsolicited links. Banks, too, are under scrutiny. In one recent case, two bank employees were arrested for allegedly helping fraudsters open fake accounts using forged documents—accounts later used to siphon off stolen funds. Still, experts caution that enforcement alone will not solve the problem. Major Vineet Kumar, founder of Cyber Peace, points to India's historically low conviction rates in cybercrime. Yet he notes signs of change: a local court in West Bengal last year sentenced nine individuals to life imprisonment in the country's first conviction in a digital arrest fraud case. "Low conviction today does not mean no justice tomorrow," Kumar said. "Digital forensics, evidence management and specialised cyber units are improving rapidly. Every complaint strengthens the system."

Sources

This report draws on statements from Delhi Police officials, court records from West Bengal, and public information from cyber law enforcement agencies between 2024 and 2025. Additional context comes from cyber security experts at Cyber Peace Foundation and banking regulatory authorities.