LUCKNOW, Jan. 9 -- Cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials duped a retired banker and a retired professor of over Rs.3.6 crore in separate "digital arrest" scams, prompting Lucknow cyber police to register two FIRs on December 6, police said on Thursday. In the first case, a 68-year-old retired banker from Vikas Nagar was allegedly cheated of Rs.2.75 crore after fraudsters claimed that multiple criminal and money laundering cases were pending against him. The victim was reportedly kept under constant video calls and subjected to psychological pressure, during which he was told he was under "digital surveillance" to avoid arrest. Between September 2 and September 22, 2025, he transferred money to multiple bank accounts across various banks for purported "verification" and "court procedures." In the second case, Jayant Kumar Singh, a retired professor from Gomti Nagar Extension, was allegedly duped of Rs.92 lakh. Fraudsters impersonating police officials, investigating officers, and even the CBI director convinced him that an arrest warrant had been issued against him in a fabricated money laundering case. He was assured that the money would be refunded by the Reserve Bank of India after verification. Cyber police said Rs.15 lakh has been frozen so far in this case. Suspect arrested in instagram-linked online fraud Meanwhile, the Cyber Crime Police Station and Cyber Crime Cell arrested a suspect on January 7, 2026, in connection with FIR No. 003/2026, registered under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66C of the IT Act, officials said. The case relates to an online fraud complaint filed by Sunil Sharma, a resident of Gomti Nagar Extension, who reported that Rs.1 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from his bank account. Investigations revealed that cyber fraudsters had placed advertisements on Instagram offering goods at heavy discounts. Lured by a 25% discount, the complainant made a purchase through a malicious link shared by the accused, who used the Blinkit app to buy goods. After the delivery, the remaining amount was allegedly transferred back to the fraudsters....