Mumbai Cyber Fraud: 78-Year-Old Loses ₹1.16 Crore to Fraudsters Posing as CBI Officers

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 78-year-old retired businessman from Mulund was allegedly cheated of ₹1.16 crore by fraudsters who posed as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and threatened him with arrest in a fake money laundering case.

According to police, the complainant received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number on the morning of December 26, 2025. The caller identified himself as “Vijay Khanna,” claiming to be a CBI officer, and falsely informed the senior citizen that his name had surfaced in a money laundering investigation.

The accused allegedly intimidated the victim by threatening arrest and legal action, and coerced him into transferring large sums of money under the pretext of maintaining confidentiality in the so-called investigation. To gain his trust, the fraudsters shared forged documents and used the names of other purported officials.

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Police said that between December 2025 and February 2026, a total of ₹1,16,20,000 was transferred from the complainant’s and his wife’s HDFC Bank account to multiple accounts held in different banks, including Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and State Bank of India, through several transactions.

After realising that he had been cheated, the victim contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 on February 25, 2026. Subsequently, an FIR was registered at the Cyber Police Station, East Division, under Sections 66(D) and 66(C) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

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Police have launched an investigation and are tracing the beneficiary bank accounts involved in the transactions. Authorities have once again urged citizens, especially senior citizens, to remain cautious against fraudulent calls from individuals impersonating government officials.