An 81-year-old man in Hyderabad was coerced into transferring about Rs 7.12 crore after fraudsters impersonated Mumbai police in an elaborate months-long "digital arrest" extortion. Authorities report the funds were converted to USDT via Telegram channels and moved abroad; several local suspects and mule-account holders have been arrested.

Police in Hyderabad say the victim, an octogenarian, was lured into a sustained digital extortion scheme in which callers claiming to be Mumbai police told him he was under investigation and pressured him to hand over funds and documents to secure his release. Investigators traced the conversions of roughly Rs 7.12 crore into USDT stablecoins routed through Telegram-based channels and a chain of mule bank accounts, then transferred offshore. Local cybercrime units identified and arrested multiple suspects who supplied bank accounts and helped launder proceeds; investigators are continuing international and blockchain tracing to recover funds. The case highlights the evolving modus operandi where impersonation, VoIP/WhatsApp contact, and rapid crypto conversion are combined to evade detection and move value across borders. Authorities have cautioned elderly residents about unsolicited calls and urged banks to flag unusual transfers to accounts flagged as mule networks.