India, March 14 -- A 75-year-old woman was allegedly coerced into parting with assets worth Rs.19.24 crore during a four-month-long "digital arrest" carried out by frauds posing as government officials.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered a case against unidentified members of a suspected inter-state cyber fraud syndicate that allegedly trapped the woman in a web of fear, deception and relentless online surveillance.

Investigators said the frauds impersonated officials from multiple government agencies, including the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), police and public prosecutors, to convince the victim that she was under investigation for serious offences including money laundering and violations of ...