An Ahmedabad police inspector allegedly lost ₹5.4 lakh after fraudsters posing as insurance company officials promised her a ₹19.5 lakh policy payout and repeatedly demanded payments to process the supposed claim.
The 45-year-old inspector, posted with the Civil Defence Home Guards, approached Gujarat University police after realising that the callers had allegedly duped her by using details of her existing insurance policies to make their claims appear genuine.
According to a report by The Times of India, the fraud began on August 11 when the woman received a call from an unknown number. The caller claimed to be from the Delhi headquarters of an insurance company and cited details of two policies held by her.
The caller allegedly told her that an agent had submitted a claim for 80% of the policy amount. He then offered to register a complaint on her behalf and provided an acknowledgement number, apparently to make the communication appear legitimate.
A second caller, who introduced himself as a manager, allegedly told the inspector that she had paid ₹10.8 lakh in premiums and had accumulated ₹8.7 lakh in interest. He claimed she was entitled to ₹19.5 lakh if the policies were closed.
However, the callers demanded an upfront processing fee of ₹99,227. The inspector allegedly transferred the amount in instalments through a QR code and bank transfers.
The fraudsters then allegedly demanded another ₹4.4 lakh, claiming it was required as GST and would be refunded along with the payout. The woman transferred ₹50,000 through a QR code and another ₹3.9 lakh through two bank transactions on August 19 and 20.
On August 24, the scammers allegedly changed their claim again, telling her that the policy value had increased to ₹24.9 lakh. They then asked her to maintain ₹5.1 lakh in an insurance e-account before the money could be released.
The repeated demands raised suspicion, prompting the inspector to contact the cybercrime helpline on August 25. She later filed a police complaint.
The case highlights a common pattern in insurance-related scams, where fraudsters use genuine-looking policy information and official-sounding identities to gain a victim’s trust before demanding money under different pretexts.
Policyholders should be particularly cautious if someone promises a large insurance refund or maturity payout but first asks for processing charges, GST, verification fees or other payments. Requests to scan QR codes or transfer money to unfamiliar bank accounts are also major warning signs.
Knowing details about an existing policy does not prove that a caller is genuinely representing an insurance company. Policyholders should independently verify such claims by contacting their insurer through the official customer-care number listed on the company’s website or policy documents.
Anyone who suspects an online financial fraud should immediately inform their bank and report the incident by calling the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or through the government’s cybercrime reporting platform.
