Daijiworld Media Network – Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar, Jul 31: In a shocking case of cybercrime, a senior woman doctor from Gandhinagar was conned out of more than Rs 19 crore by fraudsters who trapped her in a ‘digital arrest’ scam that lasted over three months. The gang, posing as government officials, forced her to stay in constant contact, blackmailed her with fake legal threats, and tricked her into transferring crores from her life savings.
According to the complaint filed last week, it all began with a phone call in March. A woman identifying herself as Jyoti Vishwanath from the Telecommunications Department accused the doctor of sending objectionable messages. This was followed by calls from individuals posing as a police sub-inspector, public prosecutors, and a notary official. The doctor was told her Aadhaar-linked bank account was involved in money laundering.
The elaborate ruse included forged ED documents and multiple WhatsApp audio and video calls, claiming she was under investigation under FEMA and PMLA. She was instructed to stay in touch at all times, share her live location, and not speak to anyone about the case. Even while attending a family wedding, she was made to stay connected on video calls.
The fraudsters demanded she declare all her assets, claiming they would be temporarily seized for investigation. Out of fear and confusion, the doctor sold gold, broke fixed deposits, and offloaded shares, transferring over Rs 19 crore to nearly 30 bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Only later did she realise she had been duped.
The CID cyber cell has arrested one accused, Lalji Jayantibhai Baldaniya, whose bank account was used to channel part of the defrauded money. Investigations are ongoing to trace the remaining scamsters and recover the funds.
CID SP Dharmendra Sharma stated that the modus operandi is becoming increasingly common, where targets—often elderly—are told their numbers are involved in illegal activities like pornography or drug trafficking. Fear is then used as a tool to extract money.
The case also points to a larger cybercrime network based in Cambodia, with recent reports revealing Indians are losing over Rs 1,000 crore monthly to scams operated by Southeast Asian syndicates.
Police have urged the public to remain alert and stressed that there is no such thing as a ‘digital arrest’. Senior citizens, in particular, have been advised not to fall for such scams and to immediately report suspicious calls or messages to cybercrime helplines.