Sabarkantha, Gujarat: A major “digital arrest” cyber fraud targeting a 75-year-old couple was thwarted in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district after the victims were allegedly manipulated by fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police officers. According to the police, the scammers kept the elderly couple under constant psychological pressure through continuous video calls for three days and attempted to extort money and gold. However, the alertness of a bank employee and the swift response of the Sabarkantha Cyber Crime Police prevented the loss of the couple’s ₹2 lakh fixed deposit and 25 tolas of gold.
Police said the fraudsters contacted Rasikbhai Modi while impersonating Mumbai Police officials. They falsely claimed that a mobile SIM linked to his Aadhaar card had been used in a financial fraud allegedly involving a person identified as “Naresh Goyal.” The callers threatened the couple with legal action and arrest, convincing them that they were under investigation in a serious criminal case.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly kept the couple on continuous video calls for three days, instructing them not to contact anyone outside their home and to strictly follow the “official directions” they were receiving. Police said the scammers created the illusion of a so-called “digital arrest,” placing the victims under intense psychological pressure until they were prepared to comply with their demands. Investigators noted that such frauds typically rely on isolating victims and preventing them from seeking advice from family members or authorities.
The fraudsters allegedly demanded a substantial amount of money to “clear” the couple’s names from the fabricated investigation. They instructed the victims to melt 25 tolas of gold into bullion bars and prematurely encash a fixed deposit worth approximately ₹2 lakh to arrange the payment. When the couple visited a bank branch to break the fixed deposit, a vigilant bank employee noticed their distressed behaviour and became suspicious of the transaction.
The bank employee immediately alerted the local Cyber Crime Police. A cybercrime team promptly reached the branch, spoke with the couple, and explained that they were not part of any legitimate police investigation but were instead being targeted in a “digital arrest” scam. The officers counselled the victims and successfully prevented them from handing over their savings and gold to the fraudsters.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that digital arrest scams have emerged as one of the most dangerous forms of cyber fraud, with criminals impersonating police, the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate, or other government agencies to intimidate victims through video calls. He emphasised that no legitimate law enforcement or government agency in India conducts investigations through video calls or demands money to close a criminal case. He advised citizens to immediately disconnect such calls and report them to the police or cybercrime authorities.
Police have urged citizens, particularly senior citizens, to remain cautious if anyone claiming to be a police officer, investigator, or government official demands money or threatens arrest during a video call. Authorities advised people to independently verify such claims before taking any action and to immediately report suspicious calls, video conferences, or financial demands through the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, or the nearest Cyber Police Station. Police added that the vigilance of bank employees, timely reporting, and prompt law enforcement intervention can play a crucial role in preventing victims from suffering substantial financial losses in such cyber fraud cases.
