NEW DELHI: An 81-year-old resident of Ghoddod Road, a prominent locality in Surat, was defrauded of Rs 16.65 lakh in an elaborate cyber scam involving a fabricated " digital arrest " by impostors posing as law enforcement officials.
The ordeal began on April 19, when the elderly man received a phone call from an individual claiming to be PSI Ravi Kumar from the Delhi Police. The caller falsely alleged that a Canara Bank account- supposedly opened using the victim’s Aadhaar details — had been linked to money laundering involving Rs 2.5 crore.
To escalate the pressure, the victim was connected via video call to individuals introducing themselves as senior officers named Samta Gaudpade and George. During the call, they informed him that he was under "digital arrest" and issued strict instructions under the guise of legal protocol.
The scammers supported their claims with forged documents , including a counterfeit Supreme Court warrant bearing seals and emblems of multiple agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and other government bodies. They also mentioned fictitious detainees — Mohammad Islam Nawab and Harish Kartik- to lend further credibility.
Convinced of the legitimacy of the claims, the victim liquidated a fixed deposit and transferred ₹16.65 lakh for so-called “account verification,” having been promised a refund within 15 minutes. When the money was not returned, his daughter intervened and realized it was a scam.
Following this, the victim alerted the cyber helpline and filed a formal complaint with the Surat Cyber Crime Police on May 22. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Authorities are actively investigating to trace the perpetrators.
The ordeal began on April 19, when the elderly man received a phone call from an individual claiming to be PSI Ravi Kumar from the Delhi Police. The caller falsely alleged that a Canara Bank account- supposedly opened using the victim’s Aadhaar details — had been linked to money laundering involving Rs 2.5 crore.
To escalate the pressure, the victim was connected via video call to individuals introducing themselves as senior officers named Samta Gaudpade and George. During the call, they informed him that he was under "digital arrest" and issued strict instructions under the guise of legal protocol.
The scammers supported their claims with forged documents , including a counterfeit Supreme Court warrant bearing seals and emblems of multiple agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and other government bodies. They also mentioned fictitious detainees — Mohammad Islam Nawab and Harish Kartik- to lend further credibility.
Convinced of the legitimacy of the claims, the victim liquidated a fixed deposit and transferred ₹16.65 lakh for so-called “account verification,” having been promised a refund within 15 minutes. When the money was not returned, his daughter intervened and realized it was a scam.
Following this, the victim alerted the cyber helpline and filed a formal complaint with the Surat Cyber Crime Police on May 22. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Authorities are actively investigating to trace the perpetrators.
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