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. "We felt almost hypnotised. It didn't feel like a scam; it felt like a real investigation," said Indrajeet Singh, 67, a retired banker who was kept under a "digital arrest" for six hours before Krishna Nagar police intervened. "At that moment, questioning authority felt more dangerous than obeying it," said Rajendra Prakash Verma, a retired government employee who lost Rs.54.4 lakh after fraudsters posing as officials of an investigating agency convinced him that he was linked to terror funding worth Rs.7 crore. According to Manini Srivastava, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at Lucknow University and also doing research on the same lines, such frauds are designed to seize mental control before victims can assess facts. "In many cyber scams, criminals use sophisticated psychological strategies. They exploit emotional triggers such as fear, guilt and loneliness, along with cognitive vulnerabilities like misplaced trust," Srivastava said. "Once fear is induced, the brain shifts into survival mode. Logical reasoning collapses and the individual focuses only on escaping perceived danger." Victims often report that allegations of money laundering, narcotics trafficking or illegal online activity instantly trigger panic. "I was not thinking about money at all. I was worried about my reputation and my family," said Usha Shukla, 75, who handed over access to savings worth Rs.1.5 crore before bank and police officials foiled the fraud. Dr Jilani AQ, associate professor of psychiatry at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS), said scammers deliberately target people who are authority-sensitive and socially reserved, irrespective of education. "Such individuals often fear legal institutions and loss of reputation. Many have never dealt with police or courts, making them believe their money can be seized and that they have no defence," Dr Jilani said. He added that those who are less socially connected or not regularly exposed to news are more vulnerable. Experts said digital arrest scams exploit authority bias -- the psychological tendency to obey perceived figures of power. Fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials through video calls, uniforms, legal jargon and official-looking documents, sometimes enhanced with deepfake-like visuals. Several victims said that seeing men in uniform and being shown well-drafted documents such as FIRs or identity cards convinced them the calls were genuine. "They sent me seven or eight documents and asked me to read them line by line," Singh said. Ironically, growing awareness of cybercrime is now being weaponised by scammers. "Fraudsters tell victims that their identity has already been misused. This flips vigilance into vulnerability," the experts said. "Fear of legal consequences and public exposure is used to force compliance."...