Retired Surat Officer Duped of Rs.63 Lakh in Cyber Arrest Scam

Despite repeated public awareness campaigns by the Gujarat government warning that “digital arrest” is a hoax, educated citizens continue to fall prey. The recent case in Surat has raised concerns over the effectiveness of such campaigns, especially in areas known for their educated populations like Bardoli — also known as Sardar Nagari.

By TBT Web Desk Last updated May 16, 2025

Digital arrest scam Surat, the blunt times — The victim, Ajaybhai Chavda, a resident of Chanakyapuri Society in Bardoli, Surat received a disturbing video call from unknown numbers.

Surat, Gujarat – In a shocking case from Bardoli’s Ten village in diamond district of Surat, a retired government employee became the latest victim of a ‘digital arrest’ scam — a growing cybercrime trend across India. Fraudsters impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers duped the victim of a staggering ₹63 lakh under the pretext of a fake investigation.

Despite repeated public awareness campaigns by the Gujarat government warning that “digital arrest” is a hoax, educated citizens continue to fall prey. The recent case has raised concerns over the effectiveness of such campaigns, especially in areas known for their educated populations like Bardoli — also known as Sardar Nagari.

The victim, Ajaybhai Chavda, a resident of Chanakyapuri Society in Bardoli, received a disturbing video call from unknown numbers. On the call, the fraudsters claimed that his SIM card and bank account were linked to a ₹600 crore scam involving Jet Airways in Mumbai. They further alleged that his personal details were used to commit the fraud at a Mumbai bank.

To make the scheme appear authentic, the scammers displayed what appeared to be a backdrop of Mumbai’s Colaba Police Station and issued a fake arrest warrant and an account freeze order via WhatsApp. Three individuals were seen on the video call — one identified himself as CBI Investigation Officer Rajiv Gupta. They threatened Chavda with arrest unless he transferred ₹50 lakh as bail to a “government treasury.”

Panicked, the victim transferred over ₹61.30 lakh through RTGS to various branches of Vivifah Bank across Rajasthan, Gujarat’s Gondal, and Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur. By the time he realized he had been duped, it was too late.

The matter has now been registered with Bardoli Town Police, who have launched a detailed investigation. Authorities are urging citizens to be vigilant and to never trust unknown calls claiming to be from police or government agencies demanding money.

Police have emphasized once again: there is no such legal concept as a “digital arrest.” If contacted, people should immediately report the incident to the nearest police station or the national cybercrime helpline (1930).