Gujarat HardLook: Fake cops, staged courts: When alert bankers, family of victims foiled digital arrest scams in Gujarat

On July 21, 75-year-old Rasik Modi sought a gold loan of Rs 30 lakh from the Himmatnagar Main Branch of Axis Bank in Sabarkantha district. He had previously withdrawn 25 tolas of gold jewellery worth Rs 40.82 lakh as collateral from his locker at another bank. Bank officer Nidhi Shah found the amount unusual and reported it to branch head Ankit Chauhan, who suspected Modi of falling victim to a cyber fraud.

Chauhan seized Modi's phone and observed a blurred man on a video call, which led to the police intervention. The criminals had impersonated an officer from Mumbai Police, threatening Modi for three days and claiming he needed the money for a money laundering investigation connected to Naresh Goyal. Modi's bank savings proved insufficient for the criminals, who demanded the gold loan.

The incident is one of the few where alert bankers, finance consultants, and relatives thwarted a digital arrest scam. In 2025, there were 531 reported cases of digital arrests, with victims collectively losing over Rs 37.14 crore. In one case, a 75-year-old gynaecologist was held hostage on video for 103 days and lost Rs 19.24 crore to the fraud.

The Gujarat cybercrime cell has filed an FIR in this case, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the incident.