Digital Arrest Uncovers ₹1.71 Cr Fraud: Savings Lost in 8 Days, 2 Accused Arrested

With the increasing use of technology, cases of cybercrime are on the rise in Surat. The Surat Cyber Crime Police have digitally apprehended a 61-year-old retired individual and arrested two suspects in a case involving fraud of ₹1.71 crore.

Bogus CBI Letters and Threats Used to Intimidate the Victim

A 61-year-old resident of Vesu, who runs a large electrical repair business, filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station. According to the complaint, unidentified individuals misused his Aadhaar card to obtain a SIM card and open a fraudulent account with Canara Bank. This account was then used for money laundering and financial fraud. The culprits posed as police officers, showed fake CBI letters and IDs, and pressured the victim. For 15 days, they digitally confined the victim, threatening him with accusations of involvement in money laundering and legal consequences. Out of fear, the victim transferred a total of ₹1.71 crore across eight different transactions.

Arrests Made in the Case

According to DCP Bhavesh Rojiya, during the investigation, the police arrested Mukesh Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, based on intelligence inputs. Mukesh, a taxi driver, rented out his bank accounts for commission and had leased an account to Mehul Patel, the main suspect in the case.

Roles of the Accused: Mukesh Patel and Mehul Patel

• Mukesh Patel: A resident of the Shyam area in Ahmedabad, Mukesh acted as an agent in the scam. He rented out his bank account for ₹10,000 commission.
• Mehul Patel: Mehul acquired the rented bank account from Mukesh and used it to set up fraudulent transactions.

Multiple Accounts Used for Transactions

The investigation revealed that several bank accounts were used to transfer the illicit funds. ₹4,77,500 was transferred to a Bandhan Bank account, while transactions amounting to ₹29,93,302 were traced in two other accounts. The police have frozen ₹8 lakh and are probing additional bank accounts. The search for other individuals involved in the scam is ongoing.

Fraud Uncovered

Before transferring another ₹28 lakh via RTGS, the victim watched a YouTube video on digital fraud. Realizing the scam, he immediately contacted the Cyber Crime Helpline and prevented further losses. Unfortunately, the victim, who had saved a significant amount over 25-30 years of stock market investments, lost the accumulated funds in just eight days.