82-Year-Old Former NRI Loses ₹2.96 Crore in Mumbai Police ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam
An 82-year-old former NRI from Bardoli in Gujarat’s Surat district has allegedly lost ₹2.96 crore after cybercriminals posing as Mumbai Police officials trapped him in a prolonged “digital arrest” scam. The fraud continued for nearly three weeks, with the victim repeatedly transferring money to accounts controlled by the accused.
The victim, identified as Prabhubhai Patel, had spent decades abroad before returning to India. He had moved to the United States after working in London and later settled in Bardoli with his wife. His three children are reportedly settled in the US.
The scam began on August 8, when Patel received a WhatsApp message apparently originating from a number displaying the name “24/7 helpline Mumbai Police headquarters.” The message also contained what appeared to be an RBI letter, giving the communication an official appearance.
A woman then allegedly called him while claiming to be a Mumbai Police officer. She told him that his Aadhaar details had been used to open a bank account connected with a ₹122-crore money-laundering case and warned that his accounts could be frozen.
The fraudsters escalated the pressure by telling Patel that he was under “digital arrest” and could face up to 10 years in prison. They allegedly sent him photographs of purported arrest documents, bank cards bearing his name and a fake warrant mentioning agencies including the ED and CBI.
The scammers also claimed that Patel’s house and family were under surveillance. He was allegedly instructed not to contact his relatives, lawyers or the police, with the callers warning that doing so could result in his immediate arrest.
Another caller subsequently introduced himself as DSP Anil Kumar and allegedly claimed that the arrest warrant could be stopped if Patel cooperated with the investigation. He was instructed to transfer money for supposed verification and investigation purposes, with promises that the funds would eventually be returned.
Between August 11 and August 21, Patel transferred a total of approximately ₹2.96 crore into multiple bank accounts identified by the fraudsters. The payments reportedly included ₹52.5 lakh, ₹21.5 lakh, ₹92.5 lakh, ₹90 lakh and ₹39.5 lakh in successive transactions.
The transactions were particularly striking because Patel reportedly visited his bank personally to make the transfers. However, he did not initially disclose the situation to his family because he believed the threats of arrest were genuine.
The fraud finally began to unravel when the scammers allegedly demanded that Patel scrutinise or break his wife’s fixed deposits as well. When he approached his bank manager to break an FD, the manager reportedly warned him that he could be dealing with a cyber scam.
Patel subsequently spoke with his sons in the United States and approached the police. He filed a complaint at the Bardoli police station on August 31. Police have registered a case against unidentified persons and are using cybercrime investigation teams to trace the perpetrators.
The case demonstrates how “digital arrest” gangs exploit fear, authority and isolation rather than relying solely on technical hacking. By impersonating police officers and invoking the names of the RBI, ED, CBI and courts, scammers attempt to make victims believe they are already caught in a serious criminal investigation.
There is also a wider financial-crime dimension to such operations. In a separate recent investigation, the ED said a ₹2.96-crore digital-arrest case in Goa helped uncover an alleged nationwide laundering network involving hundreds of beneficiary accounts, 333 victims and alleged losses exceeding ₹417 crore.
For victims, one warning remains crucial: there is no legal concept of being “digitally arrested” over a video call or WhatsApp conversation. Genuine police or investigating agencies do not require a suspect to transfer money into private or unknown accounts to “prove innocence,” “verify funds” or stop an arrest warrant.
The investigation into Patel’s case is continuing, and the people behind the alleged fraud have not yet been identified or arrested. The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
