Cyber fraudsters impersonated police and judicial authorities to trap a retired Gujarat government officer in a fake “digital arrest” scam. A staged Supreme Court video hearing and screen sharing led to the theft of nearly Rs 40 lakh from his demat account.
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GANDHINAGAR: In a disturbing case of cybercrime, fraudsters impersonating as law enforcement and judicial authorities have cheated a retired senior government official of nearly ₹40 lakh through a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam involving fake video calls, forged court proceedings, and psychological intimidation.
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The victim, a retired geologist from the Office of the Commissioner of Geology and Mining, Gandhinagar, resides in Sector-3, Gandhinagar. According to a complaint registered at the Gandhinagar Range Cyber Crime Police Station, the fraud began on November 10, 2025.
A caller identifying himself as Arun Yadav, allegedly from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), informed the victim that his Aadhaar card had been misused and that a criminal case had been registered against him on October 27.
The call was then transferred to another fraudster impersonating Inspector Sandeep Rao of the Mumbai Crime Branch, who claimed that threatening calls were being made using a mobile number linked to the victim’s Aadhaar.
To make the scam more convincing, the cyber criminals conducted a video call where they appeared in police uniforms, complete with a Mumbai Police logo in the background. During the interrogation, they extracted sensitive personal and family details from the victim.
The fraudsters escalated the pressure by falsely linking the victim’s bank account to the Naresh Goyal money laundering case, triggering panic. Another impersonator, claiming to be Karan Sharma, Additional Director, demanded Aadhaar, PAN card, photographs, and signatures for a fake court affidavit.
The retired official was placed under constant psychological pressure and told not to inform anyone, citing “national security.” He was instructed to send WhatsApp messages every two hours, even at night, stating:
“I am safe. I am here. Nation secret is safe.”
This tactic is a known method used in digital arrest scams to isolate victims and prevent them from seeking help.
On November 11, the victim was asked to attend a fake Supreme Court hearing via video call, featuring impersonators acting as a judge, lawyers, police officials, and an accused.
He was falsely informed that, under court orders, his funds needed to be deposited with the Supreme Court for verification. Using screen sharing, the fraudsters obtained his ICICI Direct demat account login details and OTPs.
They liquidated all his investments and transferred ₹39.99 lakh:
- ₹28 lakh from shares
- ₹11 lakh from mutual funds
The money was moved to multiple bank accounts via RTGS and UPI.
After completing the transfers, the scammers deleted all chats during screen sharing and vanished.
Realising he had been cheated, the victim immediately approached the cybercrime police. Authorities have registered a case and launched an investigation to trace the accused.
Police have issued a strong warning to the public, especially senior citizens, to stay alert against fake law enforcement calls, digital arrests, and virtual court scams.
Click Here to Read More Reports on Digital Arrest Scams
