KOCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered its first cybercrime case in Kerala, in which an elderly man lost Rs 1.04 crore to scammers. The case, initially registered at the Thrissur cybercrime police station, was transferred to the CBI on a directive of the Kerala High Court in March.
CBI’s special crime branch has re-registered the FIR with the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court and commenced the probe. According to officers, the case involves a 75-year-old businessman from Thrissur who was targeted by cybercriminals last July.
On July 20, 2024, the victim received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as Ajay Kumar of FedEx couriers, Mumbai, and claimed that a parcel booked in the victim’s name, destined for Russia, had been intercepted by customs for the presence of drugs.
The call was then transferred to another individual posing as an officer with the cybercrime department of Mumbai police. This person told the victim that his bank account had to be verified as part of the investigation. The businessman was instructed to transfer his entire bank balance into an account provided by fraudsters.
Between July 22 and 24, the victim transferred Rs 1.04 crore. It was only the following day that he realised he had been defrauded and reported the incident to police. “The case was handed over to the CBI due to the interstate nature of the crime and the involvement of multiple bank accounts across the country,” a CBI officer said.
“The case had initially been investigated by an assistant commissioner of police with the crime branch, Thrissur City. However, jurisdictional limitations were hindering effective investigation, prompting the court to entrust the case to us.”
CBI officers confirmed that several bank accounts to which the money was routed had been identified. “We have just begun the investigation and are in the process of collecting case files and evidence from local police. The money trail has been mapped by police, and we will interrogate account holders in the coming weeks. Our branches in other states will also assist in tracking leads across India,” the officer added.
The case has been registered under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, which deals with cheating by impersonation using electronic communication. This is the first cybercrime case to be probed by CBI in Kerala.
L1-crore fraud
The case involves a 75-year-old businessman from Thrissur who was targeted by cybercriminals
The victim transferred I1.04 crore to the accounts mentioned by fraudsters who posed as officers with cybercrime dept of Mumbai police.
The case was handed over to the CBI due to the interstate nature of the crime and the involvement of multiple bank accounts across the country