A doctor in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, was defrauded of ₹19 crore in a digital arrest scam. The cybercriminals kept the doctor under digital arrest for three months, using threats and intimidation to extort money. The scam initiated on March 15 with a call alleging the presence of objectionable content on her phone. The caller, pretending to be a law enforcement official, threatened to disconnect her phone and involve her in a money laundering case if she failed to cooperate. The doctor was subsequently pressured into transferring her life savings across 35 different bank accounts. The fraudsters even exploited her credentials to take a loan against her gold jewelry, transferring that amount as well. She was forced to share her activities via video calls and reveal her location. Upon the sudden cessation of calls, she realized something was amiss and alerted her relatives, but the loss was already substantial. Based on a complaint filed on July 16, the Gujarat CID’s cybercrime unit launched an investigation. Authorities suspect this could be one of the largest digital arrest fraud cases in India, involving a single victim.
During the investigation, police apprehended a suspect in Surat whose bank account received ₹1 crore of the stolen funds. The investigation is ongoing to identify the network and its members. Digital arrest scams are a dangerous form of cyber fraud where criminals impersonate officials from agencies like the CBI, police, cyber cell, or ED to deceive and extort individuals.
