Himatnagar (Gujarat) [India], 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.