Mumbai: A 71-year-old city doctor from Mahim has been duped of Rs 20.38 lakh in a cyber fraud after the fraudsters, impersonating CBI officers convinced him to transfer funds to clear his name from illegal activities and money laundering cases.
Mumbai cyber police have launched an investigation into a sophisticated cyber fraud where a gang impersonated high-ranking officials, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor and an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Maharashtra Chief Minister to siphon money off the doctor.
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The incident took place on June 3, when the elderly doctor received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller, claiming to be an executive from the telecom department, falsely informed the doctor that his mobile number was involved in illegal activities and would be disconnected within an hour.
According to The Indian Express, in a bid to resolve the issue, the victim was transferred to a purported officer from the Delhi Police, who then escalated the matter to a supposed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. During a video call, the 'CBI officer,' dressed in uniform, accused the doctor of involvement in a money laundering, drug trafficking, and identity theft case.
The officer threatened to arrest the doctor and sent him fabricated documents, including CBI letterheads and confidentiality agreements, bearing the names of prominent IPS and IAS officers to bolster the deception. These forged documents included names of IPS officers Sunil Kumar Gautam, Balsing Rajput, Nitin Patil, George Mathew, and IAS officer Shaktikanta Das. Then the fabricated documents are sent to the victim's doctor as acknowledgement letters from the financial department, New Delhi Crime branch, and CBI, the FIR added.
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Under duress, the doctor transferred Rs 23 lakh to a specified bank account, believing it was for verification purposes and that the amount would be refunded. His suspicion was finally aroused when the fraudsters inquired about his wife's bank account details. Realizing the con, the doctor contacted friends who advised him to call the cyber helpline number, 1930. Although the police managed to save Rs 2.61 lakh, the majority of the amount was lost, reports the Daily.
The doctor subsequently filed a detailed complaint with the central cyber police station. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Information Technology Act for offences including cheating, impersonation, extortion, forgery, and identity theft. The Mumbai cyber police are now working to trace the culprits and prevent such incidents in the future.