Noida: On Oct 3, an 82-year-old lost Rs 50 lakh to an online investment scam. In July, a retired official was cheated of Rs 35 lakh during a three-day-long “digital arrest”. An 83-year-old doctor broke her fixed deposits to pay fraudsters.From just 14 cases in 2020, the number of cases registered at the cybercrime police station climbed to 537 by Oct 3, 2026 — nearly 38 times. A total of 117 people cheated this year are senior citizens, accounting for nearly 22% of the cases, or roughly one in every five victims. Cybercriminals are now exploiting that financial security, posing as law enforcement officers to threaten them with arrest or impersonating investment experts to lure them into fraudulent schemes.The annual figures show how rapidly the problem has escalated. Noida’s cybercrime police station registered 32 cases in 2021, 49 in 2022, 183 in 2023, 134 in 2024 and 135 in 2025. In contrast, 537 cases were already registered by Oct 3 this year — nearly four times the entire 2025 tally.Union home ministry data show 1,03,488 senior citizens have fallen prey to cyber fraud and lost nearly Rs 4,000 crore across India.Gautam Budh Nagar police have taken steps to prevent fraud proceeds from being withdrawn and to help people recover their money. Police said more than Rs 141.7 crore in fraudulent transactions had been frozen between Dec 2022 and May 2026 and more than Rs 75 crore was returned to victims.The growing use of online banking, digital payments, trading platforms and messaging applications has expanded the avenues through which criminals can approach potential victims. Fraudsters use varied methods that often follow a similar pattern. They first establish credibility, then create an atmosphere of urgency in which victims feel compelled to act without consulting family members or verifying the claims.In investment scams, fraudsters promise unusually high returns and use WhatsApp or Telegram groups to create the impression of a community of successful investors. Fake applications display rising profits, encouraging victims to invest large sums. When they try to withdraw their money, they are asked to pay taxes, processing charges or account-unlocking fees. Each payment leads to another demand, while the supposed profits remain inaccessible.In “digital arrests”, criminals often impersonate cops or officers of investigative agencies, accuse people of being involved in serious crimes and pressure them to remain on video calls. Police said there have been 63 cases of “digital arrests” this year. In such a case, an 83-year-old doctor was allegedly kept under digital arrest for five days after fraudsters first posed as an Airtel headquarters employee and later impersonated a Maharashtra police officer. Threatening to implicate her in a money laundering case, the scammers allegedly coerced her into breaking her fixed deposits and transferring Rs 18.50 lakh through RTGS transactions.More than 210 people have been cheated on the pretext of investment profits in 2026 so far. The racket typically begins with an unsolicited message, an online advertisement or an invitation to a trading group. People posing as market experts offer stock tips and use apps that display successful transactions. Once the victim invests a substantial amount, withdrawal requests trigger demands for more payments. The fraudsters may claim that taxes must be cleared or that a fee is required to unlock the account. By the time victims realise the displayed profits are fictitious, large sums may have been transferred to multiple bank accounts.On May 2, a 71-year-old retired engineer living in Noida was allegedly cheated of around Rs 75 lakh through an online investment scheme promoted through a WhatsApp group.As criminals adopt new technologies, the threat of losing money to such frauds also keeps evolving. AI-based voice cloning is now being used to make these calls sound like they are coming from a victim’s son or daughter. The caller claims to have met with an accident or to be facing an emergency, demanding an immediate transfer of money.For elderly people who live alone or whose family lives elsewhere, such calls can trigger panic and leave little time for verification.Commissioner Laxmi Singh said the police were running awareness campaigns across residential societies, schools, colleges, companies, factories and sectors, alongside outreach through social media and other platforms. “Preventing the rise in cyber fraud is a priority for the police. Special awareness drives are being conducted across societies, schools, colleges, companies, factories and sectors. People are being advised not to fall for greed or fear,” she said.
