Mumbai: A retired Navy officer in the city lost Rs 14.5 lakh to cyber fraudsters who impersonated Mumbai Police Crime Branch officials and threatened to implicate him in a money laundering case. The fraudsters coerced the elderly victim into transferring his entire savings into a fake bank account.
Elaborate Scam Tactics
According to police, the victim received a call claiming that a suspicious transaction worth Rs 2 crore had been carried out in his name, and that he had allegedly earned a 10% commission from it. He was also told that his mobile number was being used for criminal activities and would soon be blocked.
One of the callers, identifying himself as “Investigating Officer Vikram Goswami,” insisted on conducting a video call interrogation. Later, another call instructed the victim to move to a secluded location for the video call, warning him not to inform anyone or he would be arrested immediately.
The scammers sent a fake arrest warrant to his phone and even threatened that the CBI Director would interrogate him. The caller’s profile picture displayed the Mumbai Police logo, convincing the victim that the matter was genuine.
Fearing arrest, the ex-Navy officer transferred a total of Rs 4.5 lakh from his bank account to accounts specified by the fraudsters, believing their assurance that the amount would be returned if found innocent after “investigation.”
Also Watch:
Legal Action Underway
However, on August 6, when he tried to contact the same numbers to demand his money back, he found them switched off. He then informed his family and lodged a complaint with the Cyber Police. An FIR has been registered, and police have begun tracking the bank accounts used in the scam to trace the culprits.
