Nagpur: A 74-year-old woman from Parvati Nagar was allegedly cheated of ₹22.80 lakh by cyber fraudsters who posed as officials of the Mumbai Crime Branch and threatened to arrest her in a fabricated case involving terrorism and money laundering.

According to the complaint registered with Ajni Police Station, the fraud took place between August 26 and September 3, 2026. The case was registered on October 12, 2026.

The accused allegedly contacted the woman through a WhatsApp video call and claimed to be speaking from the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Colaba unit. They told her that a complaint had been registered against her under a fictitious identification number, IR No. 769571/26, and sent her a forged copy of the purported complaint to make their claims appear genuine.

The fraudsters further alleged that her Canara Bank ATM card, bearing her name, had been used for terrorist activities and money laundering. Threatening her with arrest, they allegedly obtained details of her property and warned her against disclosing the matter to anyone, claiming that members of her family could also be arrested.

Fearing legal action and the arrest of her family members, the woman allegedly transferred a total of ₹22.80 lakh to the accused through online transactions on multiple occasions.

Following her complaint, Ajni Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act and other applicable laws. Further investigation is underway.

The incident highlights the growing threat of so-called digital arrest scams, in which cybercriminals impersonate law enforcement officials, use forged documents and threaten victims with arrest to extort money.

Police have repeatedly cautioned citizens against transferring money in response to threats made over phone or video calls. Genuine law enforcement officials do not conduct investigations by coercing suspects into making online payments to avoid arrest.