India, Sept. 23 -- A retired banker from Delhi was allegedly duped of nearly Rs23 crore after falling prey to an elaborate "digital arrest" scam, police officials confirmed this week.

The victim, 78-year-old Naresh Malhotra, had worked for decades in the banking sector before retiring. His ordeal began on August 1, when he received a call from a woman claiming to represent a telecom company. She alleged that his phone number was being misused to open bank accounts in Mumbai linked to terror funding.

Over the following days, Malhotra was contacted by fraudsters posing as officers of Mumbai Police, the Enforcement Directorate, and even the CBI. They convinced him that he was under investigation and prohibited from informing family members...