Mumbai: Elderly Man Duped of ₹16.5 Lakh by Cyber Fraudster Posing as Former NIA Chief

A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light from the Andheri area, where an elderly man was cheated of nearly ₹16.5 lakh by an unidentified cyber fraudster who posed as former National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief Sadanand Date and falsely accused him of involvement in the Delhi bomb blast and money laundering cases.

Based on the complaint, the Western Region Cyber Cell Police have registered a case against unknown persons under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act and have initiated an investigation. Police said the fraud took place between December 11, 2025, and January 6, 2026.

The complainant, a 75-year-old resident of Andheri, is a retired mukadam from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). His elder son is currently employed with the civic body. On December 11, 2025, while the complainant was at home, he received a call from an unknown person who introduced himself as an officer from Delhi’s Anti-Terrorism Squad. The caller falsely claimed that the elderly man’s involvement had surfaced in a recent Delhi bomb blast and that he was under investigation.

Claiming it to be a matter of national security, the caller warned him not to discuss the matter with anyone, including family members, and said the inquiry was strictly confidential. The fraudster then instructed him to download the ‘Signal’ app, following which he received a video call from an ID labelled “ATD”. During the call, the person claimed to be speaking from the NIA and identified himself as Sadanand Date.

The caller further alleged that there was evidence linking the complainant to the Delhi bomb blast and money laundering activities, and claimed that ₹7 crore had been deposited into a bank account linked to his mobile number. Stating that the money was proceeds of money laundering, the fraudster threatened him with arrest after the inquiry and even sent a fake arrest warrant via the app to gain his trust.

The accused also instilled fear by claiming that terrorist organisations had access to the complainant’s and his family’s personal details and that their lives were in danger, again stressing that the investigation must remain secret.

Subsequently, the fraudster told the victim that the Reserve Bank of India would verify his bank accounts and instructed him to transfer all the money from his account to another bank account provided by the accused. Fearing arrest and threats to his family, the elderly man transferred ₹16.5 lakh from his bank account to the said account.

After the transfer, when the complainant sought clarification about the completion of the inquiry and the return of his money, the fraudster stopped responding and blocked him on the app, completely cutting off contact. Realising he had been cheated, the victim approached the Western Region Cyber Cell Police and lodged a complaint against the unknown person.

After verifying the complaint, police registered a case for impersonation, extortion, cheating and offences under the IT Act. Further investigation is underway, and police said efforts are being made to trace the bank account to which the money was transferred and identify the account holder.