The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation of a case wherein a 73-year-old woman and her husband were allegedly duped of Rs11 crore in a digital arrest fraud, which spanned from June to August last year. The scammers posed as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials, Colaba police and the CBI officers.
Scammers Impersonate Officials
As per the case, the fraudsters contacted the woman, a retired professor living in Ahmedabad, and her husband through WhatsApp video calls and regular phone calls, introducing themselves as officials from TRAI and Colaba police officers. They told her that her mobile number would be disconnected within two hours, claiming that another mobile number activated using her Aadhaar card had been used in criminal activities. This number, the scammers alleged, had been used in Mumbai to send offensive and threatening text messages to many people. To further frighten the elderly couple, they said that several complaints had been filed against the woman's number.
Fake Legal Documents Used
“They further claimed that an FIR had been registered against her and even sent fabricated letters via WhatsApp, including a fake Supreme Court order directing investigation by multiple agencies, including the CBI, RBI, SEBI and Research and Analysis Wing. They also forwarded a forged document titled Ministry of Law and Justice- Notarised Supervision Acknowledgement,” the CBI stated in its FIR.
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Elderly Couple Threatened
The fraudsters instructed the terrified woman neither to speak to anyone about the matter and nor to leave the house, claiming that her life was in danger. By falsely implicating her in a serious offence punishable with life imprisonment, they created fear and intimidation, said the CBI.
Rs11 Crore Transferred Fraudulently
"All the accused, acting together in a pre-planned criminal conspiracy, wrongfully confined the complainant and her husband through continuous WhatsApp video calls. They obtained details of their jewellery, bank accounts, mutual funds and investments. Under the pretext of 'verifying' bank accounts, they forcibly made them transfer Rs11.42 crore into various bank accounts in a dozen transactions,” the FIR said.
Case Transferred to CBI
The case was initially registered by the CID Cyber Crime, Gandhinagar, on September 29, 2025. It was recently transferred to the CBI on the Gujarat government's directions following which a case has been registered by the agency on Wednesday.
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