Doctor from Gujarat loses lifetime savings of Rs 19 crore in digital arrest scam
PTC News Desk: A woman doctor from Gandhinagar fell prey to a digital arrest and lost her lifestime savings of Rs 19.25 crore in over three months from March 15 to June 25.
A suspect identified as Lalji Jayantibhai Baldaniya, a resident of Surat was arrested by the cybercrime cell of CID (crime) in connection with the case.
It all began when the Doctor received a call on March 15 claiming that objectionable content had been found on her phone. The caller threatened to disconnect her phone connection and slap a money laundering case against her.
This incident marked the start of a series of deceptive phone calls from individuals impersonating officials — including a sub-inspector, a public prosecutor, and others — aimed at intimidating the doctor and coercing her into submission, ultimately leading to her ‘digital arrest.’ The calls were carefully orchestrated to create fear and manipulate her psychologically.
Over the course of three months, the unsuspecting doctor was tricked into transferring ₹19 crore — her life’s savings and assets — to 35 different bank accounts. The fraudsters went further by taking a loan against her gold jewellery and transferring those funds too. Under continuous threat, the doctor was even compelled to share her location with the scammers through video calls whenever she stepped out, highlighting the extreme psychological pressure she was under.
Then, one day, the calls abruptly stopped. When she finally confided in her relatives, it was already too late. A complaint was filed on July 16, prompting Gujarat’s CID Crime cyber cell to launch an investigation. Sources believe this may be one of the biggest ‘digital arrest’ scams in India in terms of money lost by a single victim.
Following a detailed probe, police arrested a suspect in Surat whose bank account contained ₹1 crore of the defrauded money. The accused is currently being interrogated to uncover the wider network involved, with authorities committed to dismantling the entire scam operation.
- With inputs from agencies
