HYDERABAD: A 71-year-old retired government employee from Kapra lost `1.16 crore in a digital arrest fraud. Police said that on January 27, the victim received a call from a person posing as a TRAI official, who falsely claimed that a mobile number in his name was being misused for illegal activities.
Despite his denial, he was coerced into contacting individuals posing as Mumbai Crime Branch officials. They falsely implicated him in a money laundering case and obtained his Aadhaar details.
The fraudsters kept him under continuous surveillance through video calls, warned him not to disclose the matter citing national security, and later connected him to another person posing as an Enforcement Directorate officer.
Under threats and false assurances, he was persuaded to disclose his assets and transfer funds for “verification” by the Ministry of Finance. Between February 2 and April 16, he transferred money to multiple bank accounts.
On March 5, he was also misled into transferring Rs 60 lakh, which he was told was part of an official operation.
In total, RS 1,16,90,000 was fraudulently transferred, including Rs 76,90,000 from his account and Rs 40 lakh from his wife’s account.
Based on a complaint, the Malkajgiri Cybercrime police registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and IT Act and launched an investigation.
