A phone call, a fake offer or fear of police arrest can cause millions to disappear from bank accounts. Cyber thugs don’t care about your age or profession, they know you by your vulnerability and set their trap accordingly. Vrindavan businessman Ratanlal Agarwal got a call. The caller identified himself as an ATS officer and said that his wife’s mobile number was being used for a serious crime.
After this, Ratan Lal was kept on constant audio and video calls. There was also a ban on leaving the room and talking to the family. Out of fear, he transferred Rs 30 lakh through RTGS to the account given by the fraudsters. When the son came to know about it, he complained to the cyber cell and the police managed to seize Rs 15 lakh.
This case shows that cyber fraud is no longer limited to fake links or OTPs. Fraudsters are changing their patterns according to people’s age, needs and fears. The younger generation is lured by quick money and discounts, while the elderly are intimidated in the name of police, law and family.
Do cyber thugs set traps based on age?
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not release age-wise data of cybercrime victims in the country. Therefore, it is difficult to say with the data which age group is the most vulnerable to fraud, but fraudsters’ methods show that they target different people’s vulnerabilities.
Cyber security expert Jiten Jain says that youngsters spend more time online. They may be attracted by offers like instant discounts, social media promotions and quick profits. Bullies take advantage of this. They encourage people to make quick decisions by offering limited time offers or without checking for fear of missing out.
The working class can be lured by fake jobs, stock market, crypto and investment schemes. Elderly people are targeted by showing some trouble in the family, financial crisis or fear of legal action. In digital arrests, fraudsters pose as police or government agency officials to intimidate people and force them to transfer money. Jeeten Jain says fraudsters are now using leaked personal information and AI generated messages. This makes their messages appear more genuine and can make it harder for people to spot fraud.
More than 24 lakh complaints in 2025
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 24,02,579 complaints of financial cyber fraud were registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal in 2025. The reported amount of fraud was Rs 22,495 crore. Even in 2026, such cases are coming to light. As of June 30, 2026, over 32.80 lakh complaints were processed with the help of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C) and over Rs 11,158 crore was withdrawn from people’s accounts.
Various cases of cheating from young to old
- 6 October 2026, Ahmedabad: A 25-year-old youth was threatened on a video call by pretending to be a police and YouTube official and Rs. 49.78 lakh was defrauded.
- 29 September 2026, Pune: The 27-year-old IT professional bought the saree after seeing an advertisement on social media. 1.19 lakh rupees were withdrawn from his account.
- 17 September 2026, Mumbai: Fearing a money laundering case, a 68-year-old man posed as a telecom official and was digitally arrested and transferred Rs 1.12 crore.
- 3 September 2026, Lucknow: For fear of being named in terrorist activities, Dr. Jia was arrested digitally posing as an ATS officer. 1.55 crore fraud was done.
- 19 August 2026, Lucknow: A retired FCI employee and his wife were kept under digital arrest for 18 days. 42.09 lakhs were transferred as ATS, NIA and CBI officers.
Why is every minute important after cheating?
It is important to report cyber fraud as soon as it is known. Jeeten Jain says crooks can quickly transfer the stolen money to multiple bank accounts. This makes it difficult to trace and recover the money. So, in case of fraud, immediately call 1930, file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in and inform your bank. Do not delete evidence of calls, messages and transactions.
Cyber fraud is not limited to any age. The method of fraudsters may be different, but the rule of protection is the same – do not make decisions out of greed for quick profit, do not believe threatening calls. Confirm the information first and report the fraud as soon as you notice it.
