NRI ‘digitally arrested’ for 10 days extorted out of Rs 1.11cr

Rajkot: The annual visit to his native in Kutch turned into a terrifying ordeal for a London-based Non-Resident Indian (NRI) who lost Rs 1.11 crore to cyberscammers who digitally confined him for 10 days.The victim, Manji Patel, was targeted by fraudsters impersonating Mumbai Police and CBI officers during his stay in Kera village near Bhuj from Dec 29 to Jan 7, Bhuj Cybercrime police said.In his complaint, Patel said he visits India every year in Dec and returns to London in Jan. He arrived in India on Dec 2, 2025. On Dec 29, while he was at his residence in Bhuj, he received a call from an unknown number. A woman on the phone claimed that a sim card registered in his name was being used for illegal activities and would be blocked shortly. She offered to transfer the call to Colaba police station in Mumbai for further details.Soon after, another person spoke to him, introducing himself as an officer from Colaba police station, and asked Patel to come there immediately. When Patel said he was in Bhuj and disconnected the call, he began receiving messages from an unknown WhatsApp number claiming to be from the same police station.Later, he was added to a WhatsApp group video call, where one person introduced himself as ‘Vijay Khanna' from Colaba police station and another as a CBI officer. They told Patel that a sim card and an ATM card in his name had been found in a money laundering case and that he was under investigation.The fraudsters demanded details of all his assets, including fixed deposits, bank accounts and information about family members, which he shared under pressure. They warned him that he would have to face proceedings in the Supreme Court and claimed that to avoid this, he was being placed under ‘house arrest.' He was told not to leave his home without court permission and to fully cooperate with them to avoid arrest.The accused then sent details of three different bank accounts and instructed Patel to transfer money. Fearing legal consequences, Patel transferred around Rs 1.11 crore through four separate transactions. He stated that even when he visited the bank to complete the formalities, the video call with the fraudsters remained active, keeping him under constant psychological pressure.Patel said he remained under this so-called ‘digital arrest' from Dec 29 to Jan 7. The fraud came to light only after he informed his nephew, Vinod Patel, who told him that he had been cheated in a cyberscam.Police have begun an investigation to trace the accused and the bank accounts used in the crime.