Digital Arrest in Mumbai: Fake CBI Officer Dupes Elderly Man of INR 20 Lakh Saying ‘INR 5,000 Crore Used in Money Laundering in Bank Account’
Mumbai, December 20: In a shocking incident, an elderly man from Mumbai’s Girgaum was defrauded of INR 20 lakh by a cyber fraudster who impersonated a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. The scammer, who threatened the victim with ‘digital arrest,’ manipulated him into transferring large sums of money under the guise of an investigation.
As per the Mid-Day report, the victim, an 85-year-old resident running an automobile spare parts business, received a WhatsApp video call in April from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be a CBI officer from Delhi, informed the complainant that his Aadhaar card had been misused to open a fraudulent bank account. The scammer further alleged that INR 5,000 crore had been deposited in the account and that it was being used in money laundering activities. Digital Arrest Scam in Mumbai: Woman Forced To Strip on Video Call for ‘Body Verification’, Duped of Nearly INR 1.80 Lakh.
Digital Arrest in Mumbai
In an effort to convince the victim, the fraudster sent a fabricated CBI letter via WhatsApp, warning the elderly man to keep the matter confidential and informing him that he had been placed under “digital arrest.” The caller’s threats escalated as he followed up with a fake letter from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), demanding the victim transfer funds to multiple bank accounts as part of the ongoing investigation.
Fake CBI Officer Dupes Elderly Man of INR 20 Lakh
Feeling intimidated and fearing legal repercussions, the elderly man transferred a total of INR 20 lakh to the bank accounts provided by the fraudster. The scammer instructed him to update him every two hours on the status of the payments. It wasn’t until the victim shared the incident with his relatives that they realised he had fallen victim to a scam. Digital Arrest Scam in Mumbai: Elderly Woman Falls Prey to ‘Digital Arrest’ for a Month by Cyber Fraudsters, Loses INR 3.80 Crore.
The victim reported the matter to the South Cyber Police, who have since registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. The police have initiated an investigation to trace the fraudster and take further action.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Dec 20, 2024 09:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
