Fake physiotherapy scam targeting senior citizens busted in Ahmedabad, 1 arrested

The Cyber Crime Branch of the Ahmedabad City Police has arrested a man accused of cheating elderly persons by posing as a physiotherapist and extracting large sums of money under the pretext of home-based treatment.

According to a press note issued by the Cyber Crime Branch, the action was taken following specific instructions issued to bank nodal officers. Banks were asked to immediately alert the cybercrime team if senior citizens were found withdrawing unusually large amounts of money and handing it over to unknown persons.

The case came to light after officials of the Bank of Baroda’s Drive-In Road branch noticed that a senior citizen had withdrawn significant sums from fixed deposits over two consecutive days. Suspecting a case of “digital arrest” or organised fraud, bank staff alerted the Cyber Crime Branch.

A team led by Police Inspector J P Thakor reached the bank and examined CCTV footage, which revealed a man conducting surveillance on the elderly customer. The suspect was detained and questioned, during which he allegedly confessed to being part of a gang that targeted elderly persons living alone or suffering from mobility-related problems.

The accused reportedly identified vulnerable senior citizens on the streets, gained their trust by giving a false doctor’s reference, and then posed as a physiotherapist offering home treatment. During these visits, the fake practitioner allegedly administered injections and falsely claimed to remove “impure blood”, charging around ₹7,000 per injection, without providing any medical documents or prescriptions.

Police said the gang would closely monitor the victims when they visited banks to withdraw money. Once the senior citizens returned home, the accused allegedly collected large sums of cash. In the present case, the fraudsters are alleged to have taken ₹4 lakh from the victim, while an additional ₹2.7 lakh withdrawn from the bank was recovered before it could be handed over.

One accused, identified as Mohammad Amjad, son of Mohammad Mehmood, a resident of Anta in Baran district of Rajasthan, was arrested from the bank premises while conducting reconnaissance. Legal proceedings have been initiated against him by the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch, and further investigation is under way to identify other members of the gang.

Police have urged senior citizens and their families to remain vigilant and to verify the credentials of medical practitioners offering services at home, while also appealing to banks to continue reporting suspicious transactions involving elderly customers.