Gujarat: Sabarkantha Cyber Crime Police save elderly couple from 'digital arrest' fraud, save their gold, money
Himatnagar, July 24
The Sabarkantha Cyber Crime Police successfully prevented a major "digital arrest" cyber fraud, rescuing a 75-year-old couple who had been psychologically manipulated by fraudsters posing as Mumbai Police officers, according to a release.
According to officials, the cyber criminals falsely informed the elderly couple that the husband's (Rasikbhai Modi) Aadhaar-linked SIM card had been used in a financial fraud involving an individual identified as "Naresh Goyal".
To intimidate the victims, the fraudsters kept them under a so-called "Digital Arrest" through continuous video calls for three days, creating fear of legal action.
The fraudsters then demanded money to "clear" the couple's names. They allegedly instructed the victims to melt 25 tolas of gold into gold bars and break a fixed deposit of Rs 2 lakh to arrange the demanded amount, the release said.
The fraud attempt was foiled when the elderly couple visited a bank branch to arrange the funds. A vigilant bank employee noticed their distressed and anxious condition, became suspicious of the transaction, and immediately alerted the Sabarkantha Cyber Crime Police.
Responding swiftly, the Cyber Crime team reached the bank, counselled the couple, assured them that they were victims of a cyber scam, and prevented them from parting with their money and gold. The timely intervention by the bank employee and the Cyber Crime Police averted a major financial loss.
The release further noted that Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi has directed the police to provide immediate assistance to citizens who are at risk of becoming victims of cyber fraud. He recently chaired a meeting with senior police and bank officials to strengthen coordination and implement measures to prevent such frauds, ensuring timely intervention to protect citizens from financial crimes.
Police have once again urged citizens, particularly senior citizens, to remain cautious of "Digital Arrest" scams, emphasising that no police or government agency conducts investigations or demands money through video calls. People are advised to immediately report such incidents to the Cyber Crime Helpline or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is terrifying. Three days of psychological manipulation? These criminals should be caught and punished severely. Also, hats off to the alert bank staff - such vigilance can save families from losing their life savings.
The government should also make Aadhaar-linked SIM cards more secure. Why can't there be a two-factor authentication before activation? It's 2024 and these basic scams are still happening. 😤
My uncle almost fell for a similar scam last month. These people use sophisticated scripts and fake documents to create fear. I think banks and police need to do routine check-ins with senior citizens. The cyberspace is becoming a jungle for the elderly. 🥺
I appreciate the police's quick action, but why do these scammers always find ways to exploit our systems? Better cybersecurity and stricter SIM card verification could prevent many such cases. Also, no one from Mumbai Police ever calls via video - that's a big red flag.
Good job by the Sabarkantha Cyber Crime team! But the Deputy CM should also focus on catching the actual criminals, not just preventing scams. These fraudsters operate from call centres abroad, and we need international cooperation to shut them down permanently.
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