A 72-year-old man from Pune’s Sahakarnagar was allegedly cheated of Rs 27 lakh after cybercriminals posing as officials from a fictitious “Data Protection Board of India” and the Nashik cyber police accused him of being linked to a serious criminal case.
The fraud took place between August 13 and 20, following which the retired man approached the Pune cyber police on August 25. A case was subsequently registered with the Parvati police.
According to the police, the victim received a call from an unknown number on August 13. The caller allegedly claimed that a mobile number linked to the man’s Aadhaar had been used to make obscene video calls to minor girls and that 22 complaints had been filed against him with the Nashik cyber cell.
The call was then allegedly transferred to another person posing as a Nashik cyber police inspector. During a video call, the fraudster appeared in a police uniform and told the senior citizen that a bank account had been opened in his name and used for transactions worth nearly Rs 1 crore, including transfers to a terrorist organisation.
The scammers allegedly threatened to verify all his bank accounts and fixed deposits and seize his gold. They also showed him fake-looking documents purportedly issued by the Reserve Bank of India, photographs of a terrorist organisation and an arrest warrant.
The victim and his wife were allegedly threatened with a Rs 5 lakh fine each and three years in prison if they disclosed the matter to anyone.
The fraudsters then offered to “spare” the elderly couple, asking them to pledge their gold and transfer the proceeds for verification. Acting on their instructions, the man reportedly pledged around 30 tolas of gold and received Rs 27.51 lakh from a finance company.
On August 18, he transferred Rs 27 lakh through RTGS to a bank account provided by the accused. The scammers later allegedly sent him a fake receipt claiming that the money had been deposited with the Enforcement Directorate and promised to return it after issuing an “NOC” within two to three days.
When the promised refund did not arrive, the victim tried contacting the supposed police officer but received no response. He then contacted the Nashik cyber cell and discovered that no officer by that name was posted there.
Realising that he had fallen victim to a cyber fraud, the man approached the police.
The case is another example of how scammers exploit fear and impersonate law-enforcement agencies to pressure victims into transferring money. Police officials and government agencies do not conduct investigations or demand money through video calls or personal bank accounts.
