Cyber fraudsters duped a 76-year-old businessman of ₹2.18 crore by exploiting fears related to a money laundering case involving Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. The fraudsters intimidated the businessman by claiming that some money from Goyal's money laundering case had been deposited into his bank account. The South Cyber Police have registered a case against an unknown accused and are investigating the matter.
The complainant is a businessman who lives with his wife in the Nepean Sea Road area and operates a business on Reay Road. According to his complaint to the police, he received a WhatsApp call from an unknown mobile number on April 11. The caller identified himself as Sandeep Rao, an officer from the Bandra Crime Branch, and claimed that a SIM card had been purchased using the complainant's Aadhaar card.
The fake officer, Sandeep Rao, demanded the complainant's Aadhaar card and sent documents related to the Canara Bank loan fraud case involving ₹538.62 crore, in which Naresh Goyal had been arrested by the ED, suggesting the complainant's account was involved.
Seeing his name on documents purportedly from the Supreme Court, the complainant was shocked. The caller warned him that the case was of national importance and not to discuss it with anyone. He was also told to be prepared for an online interrogation with the documents. The cyber fraudsters, posing as CBI officer Akash Kalahari, extorted ₹2.18 crore from the complainant between April 12 and April 20 under the pretense of investigation.
The fraudsters used fake documents bearing the names of various agencies like Mumbai Crime Branch, CBI, RBI, Income Tax, and ED to deceive the complainant. When the complainant confided in a trusted person, he realized he had been defrauded. Eventually, he approached the South Cyber Police Station and lodged a complaint.