82-Year-Old Former NRI Loses ₹2.96 Crore in Mumbai Police ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam

The victim, identified as Prabhubhai Patel, is a resident of Bardoli town in Surat district. Patel moved to the United States in 1980 and lived in Mississippi. After retirement, he and his wife Damyanti returned to Bardoli, where they have been living since 2007. Their three children are settled in the US.

According to the police complaint, Patel received a WhatsApp message on August 8 mentioning “Mumbai Police headquarters”. He subsequently received a call from the same number. A woman on the call allegedly identified herself as a Mumbai Police officer and claimed that a bank account had been opened using Patel’s Aadhaar details and that the account had been used for money laundering involving ₹122 crore.

The fraudsters allegedly told Patel that he had been placed under “digital arrest” in connection with the case. They further threatened that his family and residence were being monitored and that all his bank accounts would be frozen if he failed to follow their instructions.

Later, another caller allegedly introduced himself as a senior Mumbai Police officer and warned Patel of serious consequences. The caller reportedly asked him to “arrange funds”, claiming that the money would be returned once the investigation was completed.