In yet another shocking instance of cyber fraud, a 20-year-old woman from Ghatkopar fell prey to conmen who posed as senior police officials and coerced her into transferring ₹4 lakh under the pretext of a criminal investigation.
The complainant, who works in Andheri, received a call from an unknown number around 12:30 PM on July 19. The caller claimed that her Aadhaar card had been misused to open multiple bank accounts, and that she was allegedly involved in a financial crime.
The fraudsters further escalated the ruse by initiating a video call, during which two men dressed as police officers introduced themselves as DCP Daya Nayak and Pramod Verma from the Crime Branch. They intimidated the woman by warning her of strict action, including a possible Supreme Court notice, a CBI inquiry, and immediate arrest.
Under pressure and fearing legal consequences, the woman was forced to transfer ₹4 lakh into two bank accounts—one belonging to Harsal Behera and the other to Mahendra Shelke —supposedly for an "RBI verification" and to avoid arrest.
Suspecting fraud after the transaction, the victim contacted the Cyber Helpline 1930 and lodged an official complaint. Based on her report, police have initiated a probe and are tracing the phone numbers and bank account holders involved in the scam.
The case is currently under investigation by the Ghatkopar Police. Authorities have urged citizens to remain alert and verify any calls alleging criminal action before taking any steps involving money transfers.