LUCKNOW, Jan. 14 -- Victims of "digital arrest" scams in the city in the recent months have included retired army personnel, doctors, bankers and businessmen, challenging the assumption that education or professional experience offers protection against cyber fraud.

Mental health experts say the trend reflects a deeper reality that such scams succeed not because victims are unaware, but because they are psychologically overwhelmed. Fear, authority and isolation are deliberately used to shut down rational thinking, even among highly educated and law-abiding individuals. HT spoke to multiple experts and victims to understand the psychology behind these crimes.

"We felt almost hypnotised. It didn't feel like a scam; it felt like a real inv...