In a shocking case of cyber fraud from Mulund East, cybercriminals staged an elaborate drama invoking law enforcement agencies and kept a 62-year-old retired bank manager and his family under “digital arrest” for 35 days. The accused, posing as officials from the telecom department, Crime Branch, CBI and an IPS officer, allegedly extorted ₹1.83 crore from the victim by threatening to implicate him in a money laundering case.
Based on the complaint, the Mumbai Cyber Cell has initiated a detailed investigation into the matter.
According to cyber police, the complainant is a resident of Mulund East and had retired as a manager from a nationalised bank. On January 7, 2026, he received a call from a woman who claimed that a fake SIM card had been issued in his name and was being used to send illegal messages in the Ghatkopar area. She further claimed that an FIR had been registered against him.
The call was then allegedly transferred to individuals posing as officials from the Crime Branch and later the CBI. One of the fraudsters introduced himself as IPS officer Jay Prabhakar Chougule and claimed that the complainant’s Aadhaar number had surfaced in a criminal list linked to money laundering activities.
To gain credibility, the accused sent forged documents bearing the names and logos of the Supreme Court and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). They warned the family that the investigation was “top secret” and threatened immediate arrest if they disclosed the matter to anyone.
Under the pretext of investigation, the fraudsters instructed the complainant, his wife and daughter to remain confined to a room in their house and report every two hours. The wife was kept on continuous video call to ensure constant surveillance and to exert psychological pressure on the family.
Between January 14 and January 31, the victim transferred money to multiple bank accounts as directed by the fraudsters. The pressure was so intense that the family broke fixed deposits, mortgaged gold ornaments and even sold shares to arrange the funds. Throughout this period, the accused allegedly issued repeated death threats.
On February 11, all calls from the fraudsters suddenly stopped. It was only then that the family realised they had fallen victim to a major cyber scam. The complainant approached the cyber helpline 1930 on February 18 and lodged a formal complaint.
Police are currently tracing the bank accounts into which the money was transferred. Further investigation is underway.