Alert Bank Manager Foils Digital Arrest Scam, Saves Elderly Customer From Losing Nearly ₹6 Crore
An alert bank manager in Gurgaon prevented a senior citizen from losing his life savings after spotting a string of unusual high-value transactions — ultimately exposing that the man had been trapped in a “digital arrest” scam.
Meet Sabarwal, a relationship manager at an Axis Bank branch in Galleria Market, who noticed on November 11 and 12 that one of his elderly customers was suddenly transferring massive sums: ₹20 lakh to an SBI account in Jamshedpur and ₹44 lakh to an Axis Bank account in Bandra.
At the same time, the customer had initiated the redemption of mutual funds worth an extraordinary ₹5.9 crore, funds that were due to be deposited within three days.
The rapid movements immediately raised red flags for Sabarwal. Acting swiftly, he put the transactions on hold and froze the customer’s account, suspecting potential fraud. His instincts proved correct.
Police later confirmed that the victim had fallen prey to a cybercrime technique known as “digital arrest”. On November 11, scammers impersonating Mumbai Police and CBI officials called the elderly man.
Claiming that his Aadhaar and mobile number were linked to criminal activity, they threatened him with immediate arrest.
Terrified, the man was coerced into isolating himself at home—his movements and communications controlled by the fraudsters—and instructed to liquidate his mutual funds and transfer large sums of money to accounts provided by them.
When Sabarwal attempted to reach the customer, the panicked victim refused to answer.
It was only on November 18, after repeated attempts, that he finally disclosed the ordeal. Encouraged and reassured by Sabarwal, he approached the Cyber Crime (East) police station to file a complaint.
Thanks to the swift intervention, Gurgaon Police were able to freeze both beneficiary accounts before the scammers could siphon off the ₹64 lakh already transferred. The funds are now being returned to the victim.
Recognising the significance of Sabarwal’s timely action, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora honoured him with a commendation certificate and a cash reward of ₹20,000 on Friday.
Speaking about the case, ACP (Cyber) Priyanshu Dewan stressed that sudden, abnormal financial activity should always be a warning signal. Banks, he said, play a crucial role in spotting such red flags:
“Checking the nature of beneficiary accounts is essential… especially when digital fraud is suspected. This case shows the value of alert banking systems and proactive staff.”
Thanks to one vigilant bank manager, an elderly man’s hard-earned lifetime savings were protected from vanishing into a criminal network.
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