Cybercriminals in Nawada have defrauded an elderly LIC agent, Kishori Prasad Gupta (69), of ₹25.50 lakh by employing a 'digital arrest' scam. The perpetrators, posing as CBI, police, and Supreme Court officials, mentally harassed the victim for six days. They accused him of involvement in a money laundering case and threatened him with arrest and imprisonment, coercing him into transferring money to their specified bank accounts.

Gupta, a resident of Postmortem Road in Nawada, stated that he received a call on October 9, accusing him of money laundering. The criminals assured him that the money would be returned after an investigation and bail would be secured. Throughout this period, he was constantly monitored via video calls from morning till night, even being instructed to keep his camera on while eating and sleeping.

According to Gupta, four to five individuals impersonated different officials. One claimed to be a CBI SP, while another asserted they could arrange a conversation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The fraudsters also threatened to kill him if he disclosed the matter to anyone, further terrifying the victim. Being alone at home, he succumbed to their demands and transferred a total of ₹25.50 lakh in three installments between October 12 and 14.

The scam came to light on October 16 when his daughter called, and he recounted the entire ordeal. His daughter explained that he had fallen victim to cyber fraud, prompting him to file a complaint on the 1930 helpline. A case was registered on October 22. Nawada Cyber DSP Shahnawaz Akhtar informed that the defrauded amount was transferred to approximately 200 bank accounts, and the police are in the process of freezing all these accounts. The investigation is ongoing.