A 68-year-old woman from south Mumbai allegedly lost Rs 7.21 crore after cyber fraudsters posing as government and law enforcement officials convinced her that she was linked to a money laundering and terror-funding case.
The elaborate scam began in April when a man identifying himself as “Rajkumar Das”, allegedly claiming to be an official of the National Data Protection Board of India, contacted the woman. He told her that her mobile number had been used in a cybercrime involving money laundering and alleged funding of the banned Popular Front of India and terrorists.
The threats intensified when another man, who identified himself as “John Mathew”, allegedly posing as an Assistant Commissioner of Police from Nashik’s Panchavati Police Station, contacted her over a WhatsApp video call.
The fraudsters then sent her what appeared to be official notices and orders supposedly issued by a court, the Reserve Bank of India and the Enforcement Directorate. Using the fake documents and threats of legal action, they allegedly convinced her that she needed to prove her innocence by following their instructions.
Fearing arrest and legal action, the retired private company employee allegedly broke her fixed deposits, redeemed mutual funds and transferred money into multiple bank accounts and a cryptocurrency wallet provided by the fraudsters.
By the time she realised something was wrong, she had allegedly transferred Rs 7.21 crore.
The woman later searched online and discovered that she had likely fallen victim to a cyber fraud. She approached the cybercrime helpline 1930, following which the South Region Cyber Police registered a case and began investigating the alleged fraud.
The case is another example of how cybercriminals are exploiting fear and impersonating trusted institutions to target victims. Fake court notices, fabricated government identities and threats of arrest are increasingly being used to pressure people into making large financial transfers.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that legitimate agencies such as the ED, RBI or police do not conduct investigations by forcing people to transfer money to “safe” accounts or cryptocurrency wallets. If someone receives such a call, the safest step is to disconnect, verify the claim through official channels and report suspected cyber fraud immediately on 1930.
