In a recent case from Andheri, cybercriminals tricked a 70-year-old retired man into transferring nearly Rs 44 lakh, using threats of arrest over false allegations of money laundering, online harassment, and sharing pornographic videos. The Mumbai Cyber Cell has filed a case against the unknown fraudsters under various IT sections and has launched an investigation.
The victim, a senior citizen living in Andheri with his wife, received a call on September 17 from an unidentified man dressed in a police uniform, claiming to be from a Delhi court. The caller falsely alleged that multiple obscene messages and videos were sent from the victim's SIM card to various individuals, leading to 17 cases filed against him, including charges of online harassment and sharing pornographic content. The victim protested, asserting that he had sent no such material and suspected that someone might have misused his number.
Shortly after, another person called him, claiming that a private bank account had been opened in his name, which was allegedly involved in money laundering. This caller threatened that additional charges were being investigated, stating that his WhatsApp messages and video calls were under surveillance. The victim was also told that he would be kept under "house arrest" until the investigation was complete.
The threats left the victim and his wife terrified. The fraudsters warned him not to share this information with anyone, saying he would be charged with violating government secrecy if he did. They pressured him into cooperating fully. Over the next several days, he received letters on fake government letterheads with official seals, claiming to be from various investigative agencies. The letters requested detailed information about his assets and urged him to transfer all his bank funds to a specified account. Under severe pressure, he transferred Rs 44 lakh to the fraudsters between September 20 and September 26, 2024.
Following the transactions, he received a letter from someone named "Kumar," falsely reassuring him that he was not involved in any crime and that his funds would be returned soon. However, when the funds didn’t come through as promised, the senior citizen realized he had been scammed and reported the case to the Cyber Cell.
The Cyber Cell, after verifying the complaint, registered a case and began their investigation under IT laws. Authorities have warned that several elderly citizens have been targeted recently with similar scams involving threats of legal action and arrest. The Cyber Cell advises anyone who receives such calls to report them immediately and avoid engaging or transferring funds to unknown accounts.