TL;DR: A senior citizen from Palghar received a WhatsApp video call from someone posing as a CBI officer and transferred ₹61,68,429. He reported the scam on September 27, 2025. Cyber police traced the transactions across 10 bank accounts, froze seven, and after court approval returned the full amount on February 14, 2026, about five months later.
What happened
Free Press Journal reported on February 14, 2026 that a senior citizen from Palghar became the victim of a WhatsApp digital arrest scam. He received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown person posing as a CBI officer, who threatened legal action and pressured him into transferring more than ₹61 lakh.
The money did not simply disappear. He reported the scam on September 27, 2025, and cyber police traced the transactions across 10 bank accounts and managed to freeze seven of them.
A full recovery, but not a fast one
After the necessary court process, police recovered and returned ₹61,68,429 to the victim, the entire amount. It is worth being honest about the timeline: the refund came about five months after he reported the fraud. A quick report is what allowed police to freeze accounts in the first place; the court process then decided when the money could be released.
That matters if you are a victim now. A slow refund does not mean the report failed. Keep your complaint reference, follow up with the investigating officer, and read what to do after you have been scammed for the sequence.
Lessons from the case
- Report immediately. The 1930 helpline and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal are how freezes get started, as in the 1930 golden hour explained.
- Money moves across many accounts. Here it passed through 10 accounts, which is why speed matters.
- A video call from an officer is not an arrest. See how digital arrest scams work in India.
Compare this with the Class 8 student who ended a digital arrest scam, where intervention came during the call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much was returned to the Palghar victim?
Police recovered and returned ₹61,68,429, the full amount he lost.
How many bank accounts were involved?
Cyber police traced the transactions across 10 bank accounts and froze seven of them.
How long did the refund take?
The victim reported the scam on September 27, 2025, and the money was returned on February 14, 2026, after the court process, about five months later.
Who did the scammer claim to be?
The scammer posed as a CBI officer on a WhatsApp video call and threatened legal action.