Cyber fraudsters allegedly posing as officials of the CBI, RBI and other government and banking institutions digitally arrested an elderly woman and her son in Gujarat’s Vadodara and defrauded them of more than ₹1.53 crore.
The accused allegedly kept the family under pressure for nearly 12 days by threatening them with a financial investigation and suspicious transactions, eventually forcing them to transfer a total of ₹1,53,04,047 from multiple accounts, including fixed deposits, into a single bank account. The family later approached the Vadodara Cyber Police and lodged a complaint.
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According to police, the incident began on July 31 when an unidentified person called the elderly woman. The caller allegedly claimed that a credit card had been issued in the name of her deceased husband from Mumbai and that a suspicious transaction worth ₹1 lakh had been carried out using the card. Alarmed by the claim, the woman informed her son about the call.
Soon afterwards, the family allegedly received a video call on WhatsApp. A man appeared on the call wearing a police uniform and claimed to be associated with an investigation. The fraudsters allegedly convinced the mother and son that they had come under scrutiny in connection with a serious financial investigation. They remained in contact with the victims through video calls and allegedly pressured them to follow their instructions.
Police said that between August 3 and August 12, the accused sent several documents bearing what appeared to be official RBI and bank letterheads. The documents allegedly contained forged signatures and stamps and were designed to make the investigation appear genuine. The fraudsters allegedly told the family that their bank accounts and financial transactions were being examined by government authorities.
The accused then allegedly instructed the victims to deposit their money into a government account until the investigation was completed. Under pressure, the family allegedly transferred funds from different bank accounts and broke fixed deposits to arrange the required amount. Police said a total of ₹1,53,04,047 was transferred into a single bank account during the period.
The family initially believed that the transactions were part of an official investigation and that the money would eventually be returned. However, a known person later became suspicious of the circumstances and warned them that they could be victims of cyber fraud. The family then verified the details and realised that they had been trapped in a digital arrest scam.
The victims subsequently approached the Vadodara Cyber Police and filed a complaint. Police have launched an investigation and are examining the bank account into which the money was transferred. Investigators are also trying to establish where the funds were subsequently moved, who controlled the recipient accounts and how many people were involved in the alleged fraud.
Investigators are examining the mobile numbers, WhatsApp accounts, bank transactions and forged documents allegedly used by the fraudsters. Police are also trying to determine how the accused obtained information about the family’s financial affairs and whether other people were targeted using a similar method.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said digital arrest frauds typically rely on fear, authority and prolonged psychological pressure. Fraudsters impersonate police or government officials, threaten victims with arrest or financial investigations and use fake documents, uniforms and video calls to create an appearance of legitimacy. No genuine government agency asks individuals to transfer money to a private or unknown account as part of an investigation.
Police have urged citizens not to transfer money or share banking information merely because someone claims to be an official of the CBI, RBI, police or another government agency. Anyone receiving such a call should independently verify the claim through the organisation’s official channels. In case of cyber fraud, victims should immediately report the incident by calling 1930 and file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
