A 90-year-old stock market trader from Surat, Gujarat was conned by cyber criminals, who presented themselves as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation. The scammers alleged that the elderly man had involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering and that his name appeared in a parcel containing drugs which was sent from Mumbai to China. They arrested him, using threats of legal action against him, putting him on a “digital arrest” for 15 days, when they forced him to yield financial information.
These criminals WhatsApped the victim. Here they alleged that he was caught on some serious charges, which manipulated him into accepting he was under investigation. Frightening him, the money thieves siphoned his savings by doing illegal transfer from his bank account. His family found about it and lodged a complaint against them in Surat Cyber Cell on October 29.
- Arrests
- Important arrests of the scam operators conducted by Surat Crime branch as so:
- Ramesh Surana
- Umesh Jinjala
- Naresh Surana
- Rajesh Deora
- Gaurang Rakholiya
- Some of the items recovered include 46 debit cards, 23 cheque books, nine mobile phones, and 28 SIM cards. Police have also discovered the identity of the mastermind in this case, a Parth Gopani who is operating from Cambodia. A sketch of him has been published for further investigation.
Opinion and Warnings from Experts
Cybersecurity expert Pawan Duggal said that “digital arrest” scams are designed to create panic to extract money. Despite advisories, many victims remain unaware that Indian law enforcement does not conduct arrests or investigations online.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently cautioned citizens about such scams in his Mann Ki Baat radio address, saying:
There is no system like digital arrest under the law. No government agency will contact you through phone or video call for investigations.
