Pune Digital Arrest Scam: Police Suspect Cryptocurrency, Hong Kong-Link Behind ₹10.74 Crore Scam By Influencer Rohan Jadhav
· Free Press Journal
A social media influencer, a “digital arrest” scam and a money trail spread across 5,436 bank accounts — that is the trail Pune Police say they have uncovered while investigating a Rs 10.74 crore cyber fraud.
Pune Police have arrested social media influencer Rohan Jadhav, who allegedly helped route money siphoned from an elderly man in a digital arrest scam through thousands of bank accounts.
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Investigators have also traced his alleged links to handlers in Hong Kong, officials said, as reported by NDTV.
Pune Digital Arrest Fraud: 85-Year-Old Ex-Army Officer Loses ₹62.55 LakhThe case began in January, when cyber criminals allegedly posing as Central Bureau of Investigation officers contacted the senior citizen. They told him that his name had surfaced in a criminal case and threatened him with arrest.
What followed was a classic “digital arrest” trap. The victim was allegedly kept under fear and pressure and forced to transfer Rs 10.74 crore into several bank accounts controlled by the fraud network.
It was only after realising that he had been duped that the victim approached the police.
One ATM withdrawal cracks open the money trail
Investigators got their first major breakthrough when they traced one of the suspects to an ATM withdrawal. This led to the arrest of Harshad Subhash Dhantole, Samarth Suresh Deshmukh and Amar Shivaji Attargi.
During questioning, Dhantole allegedly told investigators that the cash he withdrew was handed over to Jadhav. By then, Jadhav had disappeared.
Police allege that the influencer, originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was involved in moving the entire defrauded amount through 5,436 bank accounts, creating a complex financial trail designed to make the money difficult to trace.
Telegram chats, Hong Kong handlers and crypto payments
Investigators also allege that Jadhav remained in regular contact with handlers in Hong Kong through Telegram, including frequent video calls. Police suspect that he settled accounts with his overseas contacts through cryptocurrency and earned a substantial commission for converting and routing the money abroad.
Jadhav had built a following online as a social media “reel star” and also operated a celebrity management business, according to officials.
Police eventually froze his bank accounts and financial assets, leaving him with limited options. Jadhav subsequently surrendered before a court.
Two separate cases have been registered against him — one in Pune and another in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The investigation, led by Police Inspector Swapnali Shinde, is now looking beyond Jadhav. Investigators suspect the case could be part of a larger cross-border cybercrime network that uses thousands of bank accounts, layered transactions and cryptocurrency to move stolen money across borders.