An 81-year-old retired man and his daughter in Gandhinagar allegedly lost ₹14 lakh after cybercriminals kept them under a digital arrest for five days and threatened them with fabricated cases involving the Central Bureau of Investigation and money laundering, according to a report by Nav Gujarat Samay.
The incident took place in Saragasan, Gandhinagar, between October 4 and October 9. The suspects allegedly contacted the elderly man while claiming to be officials from the telecom authority. They told him that a SIM card had been purchased in his name in Mumbai and used to send pornographic videos and harassment messages.
The callers then allegedly claimed that a case had been registered against him with the Mumbai CBI. They also told him that a Canara Bank account had been opened in his name and used to transfer ₹5 lakh to a person identified as Naresh Goyal. According to the report, the suspects further alleged that the account had handled financial transactions worth ₹2 crore and linked the elderly man to a money-laundering investigation.
The fraudsters allegedly used video calls to reinforce the deception. The elderly man was reportedly made to speak with individuals presented as different officials, some of whom appeared in police uniforms. The calls allegedly displayed the CBI logo, while the suspects sent documents through WhatsApp that were presented as a CBI letter, a first information report, photographs of Naresh Goyal’s arrest, a fund-freezing control order, an arrest warrant and a Supreme Court order.
Fearing arrest and believing that they were involved in a serious criminal investigation, the man and his daughter allegedly remained connected to the callers for five days. The suspects reportedly demanded money in instalments, claiming that the payments would help secure release from police custody. A total of approximately ₹14 lakh was allegedly transferred online during the period.
The deception came to light after the video call suddenly ended. The elderly man reportedly tried to contact the callers several times, but their phones had been switched off. The incident was subsequently reported to the Gandhinagar Range Cyber Police Station.
Police have registered a case and begun an investigation. The complaint highlights how digital arrest scams combine impersonation, fabricated legal documents and prolonged video calls to isolate victims and pressure them into transferring money. The investigation will establish the identities of the callers, the accounts used to receive the money and the wider network behind the alleged fraud.
