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A 69-year-old businesswoman was allegedly cheated of ₹6.9 crore aft being kept nether 'digital arrest' for 9 days by cyber fraudsters successful southbound Delhi’s Greater Kailash area, constabulary said connected Thursday (January 15, 2026).
The victim, identified arsenic Meenakshi Ahuja, runs a furnishings concern and lives unsocial astatine her residence aft her hubby passed distant 4 years ago. She has 2 children, a lad settled successful Australia and a girl who is joined and lives successful Gurugram, they said.
According to police, the fraudsters placed Ms. Ahuja nether continuous integer surveillance betwixt January 5 and January 13 by posing arsenic instrumentality enforcement and investigative authorities.
They threatened her with dire consequences, claiming she was progressive successful wealth laundering and different amerciable activities, and warned that her apprehension was near.
"The accused told her that a SIM paper had been purchased successful her sanction and was being utilized for amerciable activities. Later, they escalated the menace by claiming she was nether probe for wealth laundering and would beryllium arrested if she did not cooperate," a elder constabulary serviceman said.
Under aggravated intelligence pressure, the unfortunate was instructed not to interaction anyone and to travel the fraudsters' directions strictly. During this period, she was coerced into transferring a full of Rs 6.9 crore into 3 antithetic slope accounts, constabulary said.
"She was made to transportation retired 3 transactions — ₹4 crore connected January 9, followed by 2 consequent transactions of ₹1.6 crore and ₹1.3 crore connected January 12, done RTGS," the serviceman said.
Police said the fraudsters adjacent directed her to physically sojourn her slope to implicit the transactions. After the archetypal ample transfer, slope officials grew suspicious and contacted her to verify whether she was being subjected to immoderate fraud.
However, retired of fear, Ms. Ahuja told them that the wealth was being transferred for her daughter's spot purchase.
Investigators said the unfortunate remained nether changeless intimidation, which prevented her from seeking assistance oregon disclosing the information to household members oregon slope officials. The fraud came to airy lone aft the scammers severed contact, pursuing which Ahuja approached the police.
An FIR was registered connected January 14, and aggregate slope accounts into which the wealth was transferred are being analysed, constabulary said, adding that efforts are connected to hint the wealth way and place the accused.
This is the 2nd large 'digital arrest' lawsuit reported successful Delhi wrong a week. Earlier, an aged NRI mates was allegedly duped of astir ₹14 crore successful a akin scam. No arrests person been made truthful far, though constabulary managed to frost ₹1.9 crore, officials said.
Police information shows that cyber fraud has emerged arsenic 1 of the fastest-growing crimes successful the capital, followed by concern fraud.
In 2025 alone, cyber fraudsters cheated Delhi residents of implicit ₹1,250 crore, compared to ₹1,100 crore successful 2024. Officials, however, said the betterment complaint has improved, rising from astir 10% successful 2024 to 24% successful 2025.
