Mysore/Mysuru: Cyber criminals, posing as officers from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), trapped an elderly couple from Vivekanandanagar in a ‘digital arrest’ scam and cheated them of Rs. 1.50 crore.

A case has been registered at the City’s CEN (Cyber Economic and Narcotics) Crime Police Station. On Jan. 2, the fraudsters called via WhatsApp claiming to be from TRAI and threatened that the couple’s Aadhaar card had been misused.

They said the call would be transferred to the Mumbai Cyber Branch. Later, through a WhatsApp video call, the fraudsters told the couple that their bank accounts needed to be verified and declared that they were under ‘digital arrest’.

They instructed the victims to transfer all the money from their accounts for inspection and told them that their money would be returned once the inspection is completed. Believing the claim, the elderly man transferred Rs. 40,00,000 from his account, while his wife transferred Rs. 60,50,000 to the bank account specified by the fraudsters.

When the promised refund did not arrive even after three days, the couple realised they had been duped. Based on their complaint, the CEN Police have registered an FIR and have begun an investigation.