Lifetime savings gone in 90 days: Man loses ₹19 crore in digital arrest scam. Here's what happened
A senior citizen from Gandhinagar was targeted by cyber fraudsters who threatened him with digital arrest, tricking him into paying ₹19.24 crore over three months. A businessman has been arrested as investigations continue to trace the scam's network and the accounts involved.
A senior citizen from Gujarat's Gandhinagar became the target of a cyber fraud in which scammers threatened him with “digital arrest” for nearly three months and tricked him into paying ₹19.24 crore. The money was deposited into more than 30 different bank accounts, news agency PTI reported.
According to Dharmendra Sharma, Superintendent of Police, CID (Crime), Gandhinagar, a 30-year-old businessman from Surat has been arrested after ₹1 crore of the cheated funds was traced to his bank account.
The fraud began in March and continued for almost three months. The victim (whose age has not been disclosed) received a call from scammers who told him that his mobile number was linked to illegal activities and that “something wrong was being spread through the mobile phone”. He was then falsely accused of being involved in a money laundering case and was threatened with “digital arrest”.
Victim Paid in Fear Over Three Months
“To avoid action, he was forced to transfer ₹19.24 crore in instalments,” Sharma said. “Throughout this period, he lived in fear of being arrested, or that his family members could be taken into custody.”
The money was spread across more than 30 bank accounts, and police are working to identify the account holders. Investigations are ongoing to trace the people who contacted and threatened the victim.
The scammers used a set pattern: they would issue threats on false grounds and then keep the victim under constant pressure, claiming there would be serious legal consequences if he failed to pay.
Accused Arrested in Surat with ₹1 Crore in Account
In a press release, the CID said they arrested a man named Lalji Baldaniya, 30, from Surat. He was running a private business and owned one of the accounts used in the scam. His bank account, registered under the name Murlidhar Manufacturing, had received ₹1 crore of the defrauded money.
During questioning, Baldaniya told the police he had met the fraudsters in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and allowed them to use his account for money transfers.
Under the method of “digital arrest”, cyber criminals pose as officials from government departments such as customs, income tax, or central investigative agencies. They use fear and false accusations to pressure victims into handing over large sums of money.
(With inputs from PTI)