Lokmat Times News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A 77-year-old retired resident of Samarthnagar was duped of Rs 78.60 lakh in a sophisticated cyber fraud, where scammers posed as a Mumbai Police officer and fabricated links to terrorism and money laundering to create panic. Kranti Chowk police registered a case on Wednesday and launched an investigation under senior police inspector Sunil Mane.
As per the FIR, complainant Eknath Joshi(77, Akshay Apartment, Samarthnagar), received a video call on July 2 from mobile number 9038728932. On the other side was a man dressed in a khaki uniform, introducing himself as “Sanjay Pise from Mumbai Police.” He falsely informed Joshi and his wife that the complainant’s Aadhaar card had been used to procure a SIM card and open an account in Canara Bank, where Rs 2 crore had been laundered. The caller further claimed that Abdul Salam, allegedly a terrorist and founder of PFI, had been arrested by the NIA in connection with the case. According to the scammer, Rs 20 lakh had been transferred to Joshi’s account, thereby making him an accused. The caller then threatened that an arrest warrant had been issued and he would be taken into custody on July 3. Frightened by the claims, Joshi transferred Rs 69 lakh on July 4 and another Rs 9.60 lakh on July 5 via RTGS to bank accounts provided during the call. The fraud, which continued till July 7, was reported promptly once Joshi approached the police. Investigators believe two individuals “Sanjay Pise” and his associate executed the fraud by exploiting fear and impersonation tactics. Police have registered the case under relevant sections of BNS and IT Act, and efforts are underway to trace the culprits and recover the siphoned funds.