In a recent case of digital fraud, a senior scientist at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune, Maharashtra, India, lost ₹78 lakh (approximately $94,000 USD) to cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials. The scam began when the victim received persistent calls from a fraudster claiming to be 'Inspector Sandeep Diwan' from the Ashok Nagar police in Bengaluru, alleging that the scientist's identity had been misused in a money laundering scheme. The fraud escalated when the victim received a WhatsApp video call from a woman impersonating Navjot Simi, a popular IPS officer. She falsely informed him that he was under 'digital arrest' and demanded ₹75 lakh to clear his name. Under duress, the scientist took loans and mortgaged gold, eventually transferring ₹78 lakh through several transactions. After realizing he had been scammed, he reported the incident to the cybercrime police. Authorities noted that such scams frequently exploit the names of well-known police officers to gain victims' trust, despite ongoing awareness efforts. These scams are often linked to cross-border syndicates that use mule accounts to funnel money into international networks.