Navi Mumbai Woman Duped of ₹12 Lakh by Fraudsters Impersonating TRAI Officials

Thane, Oct 29:
Police have started an investigation into four cyber fraudsters accused of cheating a 33-year-old woman from CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, out of ₹12 lakh, officials said on Tuesday.

The complaint states that the incident happened between October 23 and 25. The suspects contacted the victim multiple times, falsely claiming to be officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

“They told her she was facing several charges, including money laundering, human trafficking, illegal advertisements, and public harassment,” an official said. The fraudsters pressured her into believing that she could clear the charges only by paying ₹12.35 lakh.

Worried about the legal consequences, she transferred the money as instructed. However, after making the payment, she could not reach them again and realized she had been cheated.

Following her complaint, the police registered a case on October 27 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:

Section 204: Personating a public servant

Section 318(4): Cheating

Section 319(2): Cheating by personation

Section 3(5): Common intention

A probe is ongoing to track down the culprits. Police have advised citizens to be careful of phone calls or messages from people pretending to be government officials.