Mumbai Woman Loses ₹2.89 Crore in Cyber Scam; Police Recover ₹1.29 Crore

Mumbai: In a complex cyber scam, a 73-year-old woman from Vile Parle was cheated out of ₹2.89 crore by criminals posing as government officials. However, quick action by Mumbai police helped recover ₹1.29 crore, officials said on Thursday.

How the Scam Unfolded

Between Monday and Wednesday, the woman was contacted by cyber criminals pretending to be officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), police officers, and even a judge.

An official explained, “During a WhatsApp call, a man claiming to be a TRAI official told the woman there were irregular financial transactions from her account. Another person, pretending to be a policeman, threatened that she was linked to a businessman under investigation for fraud and said she would face digital arrest.”

The scam intensified when the criminals made a video call, acting as a judge, and offered to help her avoid arrest. Fearing legal trouble, the woman transferred ₹2.89 crore over three days.

Realization and Recovery

The woman soon realized she had been deceived and reported the incident to the 1930 cyber helpline, which is set up to assist victims of cyber fraud. After the case was registered on the NCPR portal, officials from the cyber helpline cell managed to recover ₹1.29 crore from the sent amount.

Authorities have warned citizens, especially older adults, to be careful of unsolicited calls or messages from individuals claiming to be government officials or law enforcement. They urged people not to share personal or banking information and to verify any claims through official channels.

Source: Mumbai Police