Puttur farmer loses Rs 1.31 crore in digital arrest scam

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 13, 2026: A 62-year-old farmer from Puttur taluk in Dakshina Kannada district was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.31 crore by cybercriminals posing as Mumbai Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers, who placed him under “digital arrest” over claims that he had transferred money to an accused in the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to police, the fraudsters allegedly kept the farmer under digital arrest from September 2 to October 6, 2026, threatening him through WhatsApp video calls and coercing him into transferring money to multiple bank accounts.

The accused reportedly told the farmer that the transfers were necessary to verify his bank accounts and establish the legitimacy of his funds. Believing their claims, he transferred a total of Rs 1,31,50,000 through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transactions to the accounts specified by the fraudsters during the period.

After realising that he had been cheated, the farmer contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and lodged a complaint.

The Dakshina Kannada Cyber Crime Police Station has registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is under way, police said.

Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters impersonating police officers or other government officials and falsely accusing victims of involvement in serious crimes. They intimidate victims through audio or video calls and coerce them into transferring money under the pretext of verifying their funds or proving their innocence. However, law enforcement agencies do not place people under digital arrest or demand money for such verification.