3 weeks ago
Alert bankers foil 'digital arrest' scams targeting Gujarat's elderly
Some bad people pretend to be police officers and video-call older people.
They tell the older people they are in trouble and must never hang up.
The scared victims agree to give away their money, gold and even homes.
These tricks, called 'digital arrests,' have happened 531 times in Gujarat this year, and victims lost over Rs 37 crore.
Wise bank workers, financial helpers and family members helped stop some of these tricks before money was sent.
For example, a bank manager asked an elderly man questions and called the real police, saving him.
Real police never keep you on a video call or ask for all your money.
The police say preventing the trick is better than trying to get money back, so they work with banks to watch for big withdrawals by senior citizens.
If a grandparent gets such a call, they should talk to a trusted family member or their bank.
Talking to someone trusted can stop the trick and save their savings.
Cyber criminals in Gujarat are running 'digital arrest' scams, impersonating police officers, lawyers and judges on video calls to extort money, mostly from affluent elderly people living alone.
Gujarat's Cyber Centre of Excellence recorded 531 digital arrest cases this year, with victims losing over Rs 37.14 crore collectively.
A 75-year-old man applying for a Rs 30 lakh gold loan at an Axis Bank branch in Sabarkantha was saved after alert bank officers reported him to police.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating a Gandhinagar case in which a 75-year-old gynaecologist lost Rs 19.24 crore during a 103-day video-call 'digital arrest.'
Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi felicitated alert bank employees on July 22 and proposed a committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Gujarat Police and banks to curb cyber-enabled financial crime.
- Who
- Cyber criminals posing as Mumbai Police officers, lawyers and judges; their typical targets are affluent, isolated senior citizens in Gujarat; and the alert bank employees, consultants, relatives and police who foiled several scams.
- What
- 'Digital arrest' video-call frauds in which victims are coerced into handing over cash, jewellery and property, with several attempts foiled by bankers and police.
- Where
- Gujarat, India — including Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat and Vadodara.
- When
- This year to date (531 cases recorded), including incidents reported in December 2025 and around July 21; one Gandhinagar case ran from March 15 to June 26.
- Why
- Scamsters exploit victims' fear of law enforcement, isolation and limited awareness of cyber fraud, often using a fake money-laundering case tied to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal; police stress that prevention, via alert bankers, is the best cure.
Police push for proactive bank alerts
Banks cite training and existing protocols
Responsibility for spotting scams at banks
Police push for proactive bank alerts
Police officers such as Ahmedabad City ACP Hardik Makadia want bank employees to alert them about large RTGS withdrawals by senior citizens, saying prevention is the best cure, that investigating false alarms is the police's burden, and that money is very hard to recover once transferred.
Banks cite training and existing protocols
Banks and the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) say employees are trained to question customers and call the nearest cybercrime cell when suspicious, and that RBI directives and quarterly coordination meetings already cover fraud prevention; one customer still lost Rs 7 crore after employees reportedly 'couldn't verify fraud' and did not inform police.
Key facts
- Digital arrest cases in Gujarat (this year)
- 531 cases; victims lost over Rs 37.14 crore
- Sabarkantha case (July 21)
- 75-year-old man saved at Axis Bank; scammers demanded a Rs 30 lakh gold loan; victim said he had not visited Mumbai in 13 years
- Gandhinagar CBI case
- 75-year-old gynaecologist lost Rs 19.24 crore over 103 days (March 15 – June 26)
- Ghatlodia, Ahmedabad case
- Rs 93 lakh in mutual funds and Rs 50 lakh in fixed deposits saved by consultant Palak Doshi and police
- Vadodara case
- Woman in her sixties lost Rs 1.8 crore; a further Rs 1.4 crore transfer was blocked
- Surat case
- Two sisters aged 74 and 67, both retired bankers, saved by relatives
- Banks in Gujarat
- 50 banks with about 11,000 branches across 34 districts
- Common fraud cover story
- Fake money-laundering link to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, a forged Enforcement Directorate summons and a fake Canara Bank account
Quotes
ACP Hardik Makadia
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Cybercrime Branch, Ahmedabad City Police
“"Whenever there is a suspicion, employees have been asked to speak to the customer and call the police authority from the nearest Cybercrime Cell if necessary for support and reporting."”
indianexpress.com
“"We tell them that if there is a false flag, it is the burden of the police to investigate."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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