Colleague Helps Save Senior Citizen From Digital Arrest Scam In Ahmedabad

On Saturday, Vishal Darji, a manager at Vishal Shipping Agency in Ahmedabad's Thaltej, noticed that a senior executive from his company had abruptly rushed home under suspicious circumstances. When Darji called, the distressed senior citizen revealed that his phone was being recorded and he was under the scanner of the "CBI". Sensing that his colleague was trapped in a digital arrest scam, Darji alerted the national cyber crime helpline number 1930.

A joint rescue team comprising officers from the police and the cyber crime branch rushed to the man's residence in Navrangpura. On entering the house, police officers found the senior citizen terrified, staring at his phone screen, where a scammer posing as the CBI director was threatening him. Two police sub-inspectors took charge of the situation, confronted the fake official on the video call, and reassured the victim that digital arrests have no legal validity under Indian law.

Investigations revealed that the fraud began around 11 am when the victim received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller posed as a senior Mumbai Police official, claiming the victim's mobile number and Aadhaar card were linked to illegal money laundering and a multi-crore scam. To induce panic, the scammers sent forged CBI warrants, Supreme Court freeze orders, and fake confidentiality agreements. They also asked the victim to stay on a video call and remain at home.

Preliminary tracking revealed that the WhatsApp accounts utilised for the fraud were activated from Cambodia, prompting authorities to submit formal blocking requests via the Meta law enforcement portal. Steps are also being taken to remove fraudulent judicial documents and official templates from public digital platforms.

Urging citizens to remain vigilant, officials from the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch emphasised that no government or law enforcement agency conducts digital arrests.