Retired Teacher Falls Victim to Cyber Fraud, Loses ₹1.72 Crore
61-Year-Old Victim Targeted by Impersonators, Tricked into Paying Large Sums through Intimidation Tactics in Prolonged Scheme.
MUMBAI: A retired school teacher, 61, was cheated out of ₹1.72 crore by cyber scammers who impersonated courier service agents and police officers in a nearly one-month-long scam. The victim, who stays in Mahim, was the target of a highly sophisticated fraud involving threats and deception.
The saga started with a WhatsApp call by a woman claiming to be an agent for a courier agency. The woman told her that she had some illegal narcotic drug MDMA discovered in her parcels and that they were carrying out an undercover operation. The scammers told her to keep the issue quiet, creating anxiety, the police officer of the Central Cyber police station added.
During the course of communication, the woman was provided with a phone number supposedly associated with a senior police officer, to whom she was to call. The fraudsters went on to threaten her by telling her that her name had come in relation to the Naresh Goyal case and that she might be arrested.
In an effort to double the pressure, the scammers carried out repeated video and audio calls, presenting themselves as officers of both Crime Branch and the Enforcement Directorate. They took advantage of the situation by asking for information regarding her assets and investments since they alleged that they had to probe her accounts. With threats of arrest, they compelled her to put all her lifetime savings into what they referred to as an “ED bank account.”
During the duration of the fraud, the victim transferred a total of five amounts worth ₹1.72 crore. The culprits continued to blackmail her, however, asking for an extra ₹70 lakh as a ‘security deposit‘. When she conveyed her helplessness in sending more money, they asked her to mortgage the house and land of her village and suggested the same, raising her suspicion.
When she understood the extent of the fraud, the retired educator turned to the internet to learn about cyber fraud and found out that she had been defrauded. She was disturbed and alerted the authorities in her area.
No arrests have been made as of yet in relation to this case. A complaint has been lodged against unknown individuals for cheating, forgery, impersonation of public servants, and extortion. The police are still investigating to identify the perpetrators behind this sophisticated fraud ring.
