'Digital arrest' scam: Doctor loses ₹19 crore to online con
A Gandhinagar doctor lost ₹19 crore after falling for a "digital arrest" scam that started with fake police calls in March 2025.
Scammers claimed she had illegal content on her phone and threatened her with money laundering charges, pushing her to transfer money through 35 bank accounts and even take a loan against her gold—all while monitoring her over video calls.
One of India's biggest digital scams
After the doctor reported the crime on July 16, Gujarat's cyber cell began investigating what's now one of India's biggest digital scams.
A suspect in Surat was caught with ₹1 crore linked to the stolen funds, but tracking down the rest is tricky since the money moved through so many accounts.
The case is a wake-up call about how advanced online scams have become—and why everyone needs to stay alert.