‘Digital Arrest’ Scam Exposes Deep Nexus: Bank Officials Arrested in ₹96-Lakh Cyber Fraud That Ruined Elderly Delhi Couple

New Delhi: The arrest of two bank officials in a chilling cyber fraud case has once again underlined a disturbing reality—in many cases of “digital arrest” and online financial scams, the involvement or complicity of banking insiders cannot be ruled out.

More than two months after an 80-year-old Delhi resident and his wife were stripped of their life savings, the Delhi Police on Friday said it has arrested five people, including two officials of Yes Bank, in connection with the ₹96-lakh cyber fraud.

The elderly couple was allegedly trapped in a week-long “digital arrest” in October last year after fraudsters contacted them on WhatsApp, posing as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other law-enforcement agencies.

They were falsely told that their mobile number and Aadhaar credentials were linked to illegal activities and multiple FIRs.

According to police, the arrested accused have been identified as Pradeep Kumar, Namandeep Malik, Shashikant Pattanayak, and Yes Bank officials Nilesh Kumar and Chandan Kumar.

Fake Law Enforcement, Real Terror

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO), Vinit Kumar, said the syndicate specialised in impersonating officials from the Delhi Police, CBI, Customs, and other government agencies.

Victims were informed that serious criminal cases had been registered against them and were instructed to transfer their money into so-called “RBI-mandated accounts” for verification.

To ensure absolute compliance, the elderly couple was allegedly placed under round-the-clock WhatsApp video surveillance and warned not to step out of their house or speak to anyone.

Police said the accused even created a fake CBI office setup and deployed a man posing as a lawyer to psychologically intimidate the victims.

Under sustained fear and coercion, the elderly man was allegedly forced to prematurely close his fixed deposits, transfer his entire life savings, and even take a gold loan—on the assurance that the money would be returned after “verification”.

Bank Officials’ Role Raises Alarming Questions

Investigators say the role of the two Yes Bank officials is particularly troubling. Nilesh Kumar, Senior Sales Manager, and Chandan Kumar, Sales Officer, both posted at the bank’s Tilak Nagar branch in West Delhi, allegedly helped open a fake current account using forged documents.

This account was then used to siphon off the proceeds of the cybercrime.

Cybercrime investigators note that such cases increasingly point to insider assistance within banks, without which opening fraudulent accounts, routing large sums of money, and layering funds across multiple accounts would be far more difficult.

Trail Across States

Following a complaint filed by the couple on November 4, the IFSO unit registered a case and constituted a special team led by Sub-Inspector Munna under the supervision of ACP Manoj Kumar.

The team conducted a detailed analysis of bank transactions, digital footprints, and technical data.

Pradeep Kumar was first traced to Hisar in Haryana. Further technical analysis revealed the use of multiple mobile phones and the involvement of additional conspirators, leading to the arrest of Namandeep Malik.

Subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of Shashikant Pattanayak from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, who allegedly managed beneficiary accounts, facilitated fraudulent GST registrations, and layered the stolen funds through multiple channels.

The arrests of the two Yes Bank officials followed.

Probe Continues

Police said the investigation is far from over. “Further investigation is actively underway to identify additional conspirators, trace the complete money trail, and examine the role of other facilitators involved in the racket,” DCP Vinit Kumar said.

The case has once again thrown a spotlight on the growing menace of “digital arrest” scams, where fear, authority impersonation, and technology are weaponised—often with suspected help from compromised banking channels—to devastate unsuspecting victims, particularly the elderly.

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