Yugcharan News / 01-10-2026
New Delhi: A 75-year-old woman in Delhi, who was undergoing cancer treatment, was allegedly trapped in an elaborate cyber fraud in which criminals posing as CBI and Enforcement Directorate officials threatened her with arrest in a fabricated money-laundering case. Over a period of 22 days, the fraudsters allegedly forced her to transfer money, pledge her gold and ultimately hand over original documents relating to her house, which was valued at more than Rs 2 crore.
The case went beyond a conventional online scam. According to the complaint cited in the investigation, the alleged fraudsters maintained continuous video contact with the elderly woman, sent people to her home and allegedly took physical possession of her property documents. The matter came to light after her daughter, who lives in the Netherlands, noticed during a video call that her mother appeared frightened and was travelling with an unfamiliar man.
The case has subsequently reached the Delhi High Court, where the victim's daughter sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. A Delhi Police status report submitted before the court stated that the role of the property dealer identified as Sushant Kumar was not found in the fraud case.
The investigation has also reportedly revealed a connection to a cybercrime gang operating from Cambodia.
How the Alleged Digital Arrest Scam Began
According to the complaint, the incident began on April 6 when the elderly woman received a call on her landline from an unknown number. The callers allegedly introduced themselves as officials of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate and claimed that her telephone number was linked to another number allegedly used in a money-laundering case.
The woman was reportedly told that she could face serious legal consequences. The callers allegedly claimed that she and her children could be arrested and that the matter involved national security.
The alleged fraudsters then told her that they would help her file a police complaint online. A WhatsApp video call was subsequently initiated, with people appearing in police uniforms. According to the complaint, the individuals used the video call to make the woman believe that she was communicating with genuine government or law-enforcement officials.
The victim was allegedly instructed to remain connected through a continuous video call. One of the callers reportedly told her that officials were going to meet a senior police officer and threatened that she and her children could be arrested within minutes.
The alleged threats were intended to prevent the woman from seeking help, according to the complaint. She was reportedly told not to disclose the matter to anyone.
The fraudsters also allegedly asked her about her savings, gold and property.
Rs 3 Lakh Transferred, Gold Pledged
Following the instructions of the alleged callers, the woman reportedly visited the Bank of Maharashtra branch in Vasant Kunj and transferred Rs 3 lakh to an account specified by them.
The next day, April 7, the alleged fraudsters instructed her to visit Muthoot Fincorp and deposit 83.5 grams of gold. The jewellery reportedly included two bangles, a chain, a chain with a locket and four studs.
The woman allegedly obtained a gold loan of approximately Rs 4.95 lakh against the jewellery. According to the complaint, the money received through the loan was subsequently transferred to an account provided by the alleged fraudsters.
By this stage, the woman was reportedly extremely frightened and asked the callers to stop contacting her. Instead, the alleged criminals told her that the remaining formalities would be completed at her residence.
The Scam Moves From Digital Calls To Her Home
The case took a more serious turn when the alleged fraudsters introduced a property-related element into the scam.
The woman was reportedly told that an authorised property dealer would contact her because her house was allegedly connected to the investigation. She was told that documents relating to the property would be prepared and that she would have to cooperate with the process.
On April 8, the woman received a WhatsApp call from a person who identified himself as Sushant Kumar. He allegedly asked for her address and said that he would visit her.
According to the complaint, Kumar arrived at the woman's home on April 13 and took the original documents relating to the property along with their copies. The complaint alleges that he did not provide a receipt for the documents.
Two days later, on April 15, Kumar allegedly returned with two other men who identified themselves as buyer Anil Kapoor and witness Praveen Chadha. The woman was allegedly made to sign an advance receipt-cum-agreement to sell her house.
The complaint further alleges that she was not given complete information about the documents she was signing and was made to sign additional papers.
The woman was allegedly assured that the money, gold and property documents taken from her would eventually be returned.
Property Documents Become Central To Case
The alleged transfer of the original property documents is one of the key aspects that distinguishes the case from a conventional digital-arrest scam.
According to the complaint, the alleged fraudsters used the threat of a money-laundering investigation and continuous surveillance to keep the elderly woman under pressure. They allegedly combined online intimidation with physical visits to her home and the collection of documents.
The property was reportedly worth more than Rs 2 crore, making the alleged attempt to obtain control of its documents a significant part of the case.
On April 17, two cheques were deposited into the woman's bank account. One was for Rs 23 lakh and another for Rs 10 lakh. The complaint states that Rs 21 lakh was subsequently withdrawn from her account on the same day, followed by another withdrawal of Rs 3 lakh on April 18.
The complaint further alleges that the money was transferred to an account associated with an entity named Savitri Bai Phule Educational Welfare Society.
Daughter Discovers Something Was Wrong
The alleged fraud continued for several weeks before the woman's daughter became suspicious.
On April 27, the daughter, Radhika Ralhan, who was living in the Netherlands, made a video call to her mother. During the call, she reportedly saw her mother with an unfamiliar man inside a car.
According to Radhika, her mother appeared frightened and explained the situation. The daughter then advised her to immediately approach the police.
Radhika travelled to Delhi and arrived on April 29.
The sequence of events reportedly prompted the family to question the people who had been interacting with the elderly woman and to seek the return of her property documents.
A cybercrime complaint was also registered through an e-FIR on April 27, according to the report.
Property Dealer Denies Allegations
The property dealer identified as Sushant Kumar has denied the allegations against him.
According to his account, a man who introduced himself as Nitin and claimed to be the woman's son had contacted him, saying that his mother was unwell and wanted to sell her property. Kumar also said that the elderly woman herself contacted him.
He later claimed that he came to understand that the matter was connected to a fraud.
The Delhi Police status report submitted before the Delhi High Court stated that Kumar's role was not found in the fraud case, according to the NDTV report.
The allegation made by the victim's family and Kumar's denial therefore remain distinct positions in the case. Any criminal liability would have to be determined through the investigation and, if applicable, judicial proceedings.
Matter Reaches Delhi High Court
The victim's daughter subsequently approached the Delhi High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the alleged fraud.
The court proceedings brought additional attention to the unusual nature of the case, in which alleged cybercriminals reportedly combined impersonation of government officials, video surveillance, financial transfers and physical collection of property documents.
The Delhi Police submitted a status report as part of the proceedings. According to that report, investigators did not find the role of Kumar in the fraud case.
The available report does not establish that the property transaction was legally completed or that ownership of the house was transferred to the alleged fraudsters. Instead, the complaint describes an alleged attempt to obtain control over the property documents and have the victim sign documents under intimidation.
Cambodia Link Emerges
The investigation reportedly traced the alleged fraud to a larger cybercrime network operating from Cambodia.
International links have increasingly appeared in cases involving so-called digital arrest scams, in which criminals impersonate police officers, investigative agencies or other government authorities and threaten victims with arrest unless they transfer money or follow instructions.
In this case, investigators reportedly found a Cambodia connection while tracing the network behind the alleged fraud.
The case highlights how such scams can extend beyond telephone calls and online financial transfers. Here, the alleged criminals reportedly maintained continuous communication with the victim, used video calls to impersonate officials and eventually involved individuals who physically visited her residence.
A Complex Fraud Targeting An Elderly Woman
The case illustrates the methods allegedly used to create fear and isolate victims. By claiming that the woman was connected to a serious money-laundering investigation and repeatedly threatening her with arrest, the alleged fraudsters appear to have kept her focused on complying with their instructions rather than seeking independent assistance.
The woman's age, health condition and the claim that she was living alone were also reportedly known during the conversations, according to the complaint.
The alleged criminals then expanded the operation from financial transactions to gold and property documentation. The involvement of people who visited the woman's home made the alleged fraud substantially different from scams that remain entirely online.
The case is now being examined through both the police investigation and proceedings before the Delhi High Court. While the complaint contains serious allegations, the role of individual people must be determined on the basis of evidence collected by investigators.
The case also serves as an illustration of the risks posed by impersonation-based cyber fraud, particularly when criminals use the identities of law-enforcement agencies to create fear. Genuine government or police investigations do not require citizens to remain under continuous video surveillance or transfer money to private accounts to prove their innocence.
For the 75-year-old Delhi woman, what began with an alleged phone call about a fabricated money-laundering case ultimately involved money transfers, a gold loan and the collection of original property documents. The investigation into the alleged Cambodia-linked network and the precise role of the individuals involved will determine how the wider fraud was organised and who may ultimately face legal action.
