Digital arrest: How a maze of 5,436 accounts was used to funnel Rs 10.7 crore siphoned from Pune senior citizen

The digital arrest scam, targeting an 82-year-old retired businessman from Pune, saw Rs 10.74 crore siphoned through a complex network of 5,436 bank accounts spread across several states. The fraudsters, posing as government officials, coerced the victim into transferring the money, believing it would be returned after verification.

The funds were then converted into cryptocurrencies like Tether (USDT) and withdrawn as cash. Rohan Rameshwar Jadhav, a 26-year-old social media influencer, was arrested and found to be involved in managing the mule accounts and converting the siphoned money into USDT. Jadhav, who was part of the operation for over a couple of years, along with other cyber criminals, operated from abroad, making it challenging for investigators to trace and recover the money.