A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light from Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area, where an elderly man was cheated of nearly ₹87 lakh by unidentified cyber fraudsters who threatened him with arrest by falsely accusing him of financially aiding an anti-India Muslim organisation. Based on the victim’s complaint, the East Region Cyber Police has registered a case against three unknown persons under sections related to cheating and provisions of the Information Technology Act, and has initiated an investigation.
The 64-year-old complainant is a resident of Ghatkopar and owns a few shops in the area, which he has rented out. On December 25, while he was visiting his aunt’s residence in Kandivli, he received a call from an unknown person who claimed to be a police officer named Vinit Kumar from the Data Protection Board of India. The caller alleged that a case had been registered against him at a police station in Nashik and told him that he would have to visit Nashik for inquiry, adding that he would soon receive a call from Nashik Police.
Subsequently, on December 29, the complainant received a WhatsApp call from another individual who introduced himself as Pradeep Jaiswal, an officer from the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The caller claimed that several MMS messages had been sent from the complainant’s SIM card and that certain amounts had been credited to his bank account on a 10 per cent commission basis. He alleged that the money was meant to fund an anti-India Muslim organisation for carrying out activities against the nation, and claimed there was evidence of the complainant’s active involvement in anti-national activities.
To gain his trust, the accused made multiple video calls between December 29, 2025, and January 1, 2026, during which he attempted to show fabricated “evidence” against the victim. He threatened that, on the orders of the Supreme Court and the State Bank of India, all properties of the complainant and his family would be seized and their bank accounts frozen, and warned that he could be arrested at any moment.
The fraudsters also showed him certain documents along with photographs of around ten individuals, extracted details of his bank accounts, and persuaded him to transfer money, assuring him that the amount would be returned after the inquiry was completed. Trusting their claims, the complainant transferred ₹87.40 lakh to the bank account provided by the accused.
A few days later, Pradeep Jaiswal called the victim again, claiming that the inquiry against him had been completed and that no involvement had been found. He assured that the entire amount would be credited back to the complainant’s bank account within two days. However, the money was never returned, and subsequent calls made by the victim went unanswered.
Sensing foul play, the elderly man approached the police. Following an inquiry, it was revealed that he had been cheated by cyber fraudsters. Based on his complaint, the police have registered a case under relevant sections for cheating and under the IT Act. The investigation has been handed over to the East Region Cyber Police .
Police officials stated that further investigation is underway and efforts are being made to trace details of the bank account into which the defrauded amount was transferred.