Digital arrest scam wipes out Gujarat doctor’s Rs 19 crore life savings in just 90 days – Technology News

In just 90 days, a Gujarat doctor was swindled out of Rs 19 crore in a sophisticated digital arrest scam that drained her entire life savings. The incident unfolded in March when the doctor received a call from a woman identifying herself as Jyoti Vishwanath, allegedly from the Telecommunications Department. Soon after, several others reached out — including a man claiming to be Sub-Inspector Mohan Singh, along with individuals posing as public prosecutors named Deepak Saini and Venkateshwar, and a notary official going by the name Pawan Kumar.

Together, they alleged that her phone number was being misused to send inappropriate content. They insisted she share her Aadhaar details and went on to accuse her of being involved in a money laundering case linked to her bank account.

Caller persistently intimidated her with threats of legal consequences:

According to the report, the caller persistently intimidated her with threats of legal consequences, pushing her into a state of fear and panic. Over a span of three months, she transferred Rs 19 crore—her entire life’s savings and assets—into 35 separate bank accounts.

The scammers didn’t stop there; they took advantage of her distress by arranging a loan using her gold jewellery as collateral and siphoned off that amount too.

Following a complaint lodged on July 16, the Cyber Cell of Gujarat’s CID Crime promptly launched an investigation. According to insiders, this appears to be one of the most significant cases of a digital arrest scam ever reported in the country.

CID announced the arrest of a 30-year-old man:

In an official statement, the CID announced the arrest of a 30-year-old man, Lalji Baldaniya, from Surat. He was reportedly operating a private enterprise and held a bank account that played a role in the fraudulent scheme. The account, listed under the business name Murlidhar Manufacturing, had received Rs 1 crore linked to the scam.

Upon interrogation, Baldaniya revealed that he had come into contact with the con artists in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and had permitted them to use his account to move funds.