In a shocking case of cybercrime, a 72-year-old retired professor from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Police on Saturday, alleging that she was defrauded of ₹4 lakh by a cybercrime syndicate under the pretext of a "digital arrest."
According to the complaint, the ordeal began on November 13 when the professor received a call from an individual claiming to be an officer from the State Bank of India (SBI). The caller alleged there were outstanding dues on her SBI credit card. When the professor clarified that she did not possess an SBI credit card, the caller assured her that a complaint had been registered and forwarded to the police.
Half an hour later, the professor received another call, this time from a person claiming to be a Mumbai police officer. The alleged officer requested her Aadhaar card details. Soon after, a third caller, identifying himself as CBI officer Akash Khullari, informed her that her Aadhaar number had been used to open a bank account for transferring black money. He further claimed that the bank manager linked to the account had already been arrested.
The so-called CBI officer alleged that multiple bank accounts in her name were being used for illegal money transfers and that she would be arrested unless her transactions were verified. Under the guise of a refundable verification process, the fraudsters manipulated her into breaking her fixed deposits (FDs) and transferring the funds to another bank account.
The victim later shared the details of the calls with her husband and a TISS colleague, who recognized it as a case of cyber fraud. She promptly contacted the National Cybercrime Helpline (1930) and reported the incident.
Based on her complaint, the Powai Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Authorities are now tracing the beneficiary bank accounts used in the fraud to identify the culprits.
The police have urged citizens to remain vigilant against such scams, especially involving calls from individuals claiming to be officials from banks or law enforcement agencies.