New Delhi

An electronic repair shop owner, a DJ operator, and a plastic plate manufacturer were among the five who duped a 78-year-old Delhi resident of more than Rs 2.19 crore, an officer said on Thursday.

The five were arrested by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell.

The alleged frauds were identified as Dipesh Patidar, 30, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, who runs an electronic repair shop, while Anshul Rathod, 28, also from MP, lets out music systems for weddings, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar said in a statement.

Shayam Babu Gupta, 36, from Uttar Pradesh, operates a small plastic plate factory in Jhansi.

Raghvendra Verma, a graduate, runs a motorcycle accessories shop in Jhansi, and Devesh Singh, an ITI diploma holder, recently enrolled in a BTech course. Both are aged 25.

The officer said that despite their modest profiles, the accused were part of an interstate syndicate that impersonated law enforcement and central government officials to extort money from their targets.

"The case came to light after the elderly victim received a call from a man posing as a senior officer from Lucknow Police headquarters, who claimed that two arrest warrants had been issued against him in a money laundering case," the DCP said, according to the statement.

When the victim said he could not visit the police station due to his age, the caller introduced the concept of a digital arrest, displaying fabricated case details to lend credibility to the threat.

Soon after, another caller contacted the victim, claiming his Aadhaar had been misused, and demanded disclosure of his financial assets.

"The victim was then placed under continuous WhatsApp video surveillance and instructed not to leave his house or contact anyone," Kumar said.

The accused also created a fake CBI office and had a person pose as a lawyer to interact with the victim.

Intimidated, the victim transferred Rs 2,19,18,000 to multiple bank accounts between November 26 and December 4, believing the funds were being deposited in RBI-mandated verification accounts.

An e-FIR was registered on December 5, following which an IFSO team analysed bank transactions and digital footprints.

Police arrested Patidar after nearly Rs 1 crore was traced to an account in his name, leading to more arrests in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The syndicate relied heavily on mule bank accounts, layered fund transfers, and international virtual numbers procured through online ads to evade detection.

"We have recovered rubber stamps of various firms, cheque books, seven mobile phones, 20 debit cards and copies of Aadhaar cards," the DCP said.

Recently, a south Delhi-based couple lost Rs 14.85 crore following a digital arrest.

According to the police, Om Taneja and his wife, Dr Indira Taneja, were placed under digital arrest by cyber frauds for more than 15 days, impersonating telecom and law enforcement officials.

READ MORE: Osama played Oud and stole the show at New Delhi World Book Fair

The alleged frauds repeatedly threatened them with arrest and grave consequences.

Between December 24 and January 9, the couple was forced to remain on continuous phone and video calls and coerced into transferring large sums of money to multiple bank accounts in the name of verification.