In a major relief amid the rising menace of cybercrime, vigilant bankers and mutual fund officials in Ahmedabad foiled three separate “digital arrest” scams and saved elderly citizens from losing a total of Rs 2.21 crore to cyber fraudsters. The incidents, reported from different parts of the city, underline both the increasing sophistication of online scams and the critical role of frontline financial professionals in preventing such crimes.
Police officials said the three senior citizens, all above 65 years of age, had been subjected to intense psychological pressure by cybercriminals posing as law enforcement or government officials. The scammers used threats of arrest, fabricated legal cases and continuous video calls to terrify the victims into urgently withdrawing or transferring their life savings.
Investigators revealed that in all three cases, the elderly victims were so deeply manipulated that they began distrusting everyone around them, including actual police officers. In two instances, the fear escalated to the point of physical resistance when police tried to intervene, with one victim reportedly biting an officer while insisting that the police were part of the scam.
“What we are seeing is not just financial fraud but psychological captivity,” a police official said, explaining how scammers isolate victims and keep them under constant virtual surveillance.
A common pattern in all three cases was the sudden and urgent demand to withdraw or transfer unusually large sums of money to unfamiliar bank accounts. This raised immediate red flags for bank managers and investment professionals, who alerted the cybercrime cell in time.
In the first incident, a 71-year-old man from Ghatlodia withdrew Rs 93 lakh from his mutual fund investments and prematurely broke a fixed deposit worth Rs 50 lakh. When he attempted to transfer the entire amount to a private bank account, mutual fund professional Palak Doshi sensed something was wrong.
Recognising the classic signs of a digital arrest scam, Doshi immediately contacted the cybercrime cell. Swift coordination between the bank and police ensured that Rs 1.43 crore was secured before it could be transferred to the fraudsters.
The second case involved a 65-year-old resident of the Satellite area who broke a fixed deposit of Rs 45 lakh and attempted to transfer the money to a bank account in Odisha. The urgency of the transaction and the unfamiliar destination prompted bank manager Jayesh Gandhi to stop the transfer.
He immediately alerted the police, whose timely intervention helped the senior citizen realise that he was being scammed and prevented the loss of his savings.
In the third incident, a former coach of the Indian women’s cricket team visited a bank branch in Maninagar to transfer Rs 33.35 lakh. Branch manager Abhishek Singh noticed that the woman was continuously on a video call while issuing transaction instructions, a known hallmark of digital arrest scams.
Suspecting fraud, Singh took custody of her phone and informed the police. After nearly three hours of counselling by cybercrime officials, the woman understood that she had been manipulated and narrowly escaped financial ruin.
Police officials said digital arrest scams have become alarmingly common, particularly among elderly people living alone. Scammers often instruct victims to isolate themselves, stop answering regular phone calls, and remain on encrypted messaging or video platforms under constant monitoring.
Authorities have identified warning signs such as sudden behavioural changes, persistent anxiety, self-imposed isolation, locking themselves inside rooms, and continuous WhatsApp or video calls even when normal phone lines remain inactive.
In response to the growing threat, banks and financial institutions have been instructed to remain on high alert and immediately inform the police if customers insist on withdrawing entire savings or transferring funds to unfamiliar accounts under apparent distress.
