Retired Patna Professor Duped Of Rs 82.53 Lakh In Eight-Day 'Digital Arrest' Cyber Fraud
Cyber fraudsters posing as CBI officers allegedly kept a retired Patna professor under 'digital arrest' and duped him of Rs 82.53 lakh.
Published : July 4, 2026 at 4:55 PM IST
Patna: Cyber fraudsters allegedly duped a retired professor in Bihar's capital of Rs 82.53 lakh by threatening him with a fake "digital arrest" and falsely claiming he was involved in anti-national activities and money laundering.
The victim, Mohammad Ghyasuddin, a retired professor of Tibbi College living in Nayatola, Phulwari Sharif, lodged a complaint with the Cyber Police Station, following which an FIR has been registered and an investigation has begun.
According to police, the fraud began on March 27, 2026, when Ghyasuddin received a phone call from a person claiming to be a CBI officer.
The caller alleged that the professor's mobile number had been used for anti-national activities and that a bank account linked to the number had been involved in suspicious transactions worth crores of rupees in a money-laundering case.
The fraudsters further claimed that a criminal case had already been registered against him and threatened that he would be arrested immediately and sent to jail if he did not cooperate with the investigation.
Kept Under 'Digital Arrest' For Days
Police said the cyber criminals kept the retired professor under a so-called "digital arrest" until April 8, maintaining constant contact through WhatsApp calls and messages.
He was allegedly instructed not to disclose the matter to any family member, friend or acquaintance. Under continuous psychological pressure and fear of arrest, he was allegedly forced to transfer Rs 82.53 lakh to multiple bank accounts through Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in several instalments.
According to the complaint, the cyber fraudsters continued threatening the retired professor through WhatsApp until the last week of June.
The fraud came to light after one of his acquaintances visited his home. After narrating the incident, the professor realised he had been cheated and approached the Cyber Police Station to file a written complaint.
Cyber Police DSP Nitish Chandra Dharia said investigators have started probing the case. "The investigation has begun. We are collecting details of all bank accounts to which the funds were transferred. The accounts and financial transactions are being examined to identify and trace the cyber criminals," he said.
Other Cyber Fraud Cases In Patna
Police said several other cyber fraud cases have been reported in the city recently.
- Amit Kumar, a resident of Kankarbagh, was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.25 lakh by fraudsters posing as CRPF officers.
- Businessman Gautam Kumar of Khemnichak allegedly lost Rs 2.70 lakh. Rajesh Kumar of Didarganj was allegedly duped of Rs 95,000.
- Nazal Bano of Phulwari Sharif allegedly lost Rs 1.74 lakh in a cyber fraud.
Police also noted that last year, another retired professor from the Kadamkuan area had allegedly been cheated of crores of rupees in a similar cyber fraud.
What Is 'Digital Arrest'?
Police said a "digital arrest" is a fraudulent tactic used by cybercriminals. Fraudsters impersonate officials from agencies such as the CBI, the Income Tax Department, or other central investigative agencies, and falsely claim that the victim is facing criminal charges.
They then isolate victims by instructing them not to contact anyone, create fear of arrest or legal action, and coerce them into transferring money.
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