A 90-year-old man in Surat, Gujarat, fell victim to a devastating digital scam in which he lost over ₹1 crore of his life savings. The elderly stock market trader was deceived by fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, who falsely implicated him in a drug trafficking and money laundering scheme.
The conmen, operating in collaboration with associates in China, initially contacted the victim through a WhatsApp call. They claimed that a parcel sent in his name from Mumbai to China contained illegal drugs. In an effort to manipulate the elderly man, the scammers placed him under a fake “digital arrest” for 15 days, using threats of legal consequences and imprisonment to instill fear.
During this period, the fraudsters tricked the victim into sharing sensitive information, enabling them to transfer ₹1.15 crore from his bank accounts. The victim’s family became aware of the fraud and reported the incident to the Surat Cyber Cell on 29 October.
The Surat Crime Branch has arrested five individuals in connection with the scam: Ramesh Surana, Umesh Jinjala, Naresh Surana, Rajesh Deora, and Gaurang Rakholiya. Investigations revealed that the gang used 46 debit cards, 23 cheque books, nine mobile phones, 28 SIM cards, and several rubber stamps to facilitate the crime.
Despite these arrests, the mastermind behind the scam, Parth Gopani, remains at large and is believed to be in Cambodia. Authorities have released a sketch of Gopani, hoping to locate him. Deputy Commissioner of Police Bhavesh Rozia highlighted that the fraudsters took advantage of the victim’s lack of awareness about digital crimes.
