Mumbai: Retired Officer Duped of ₹71 Lakh in Cyber Fraud Using Abu Salem’s Name

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a group of scammers duped a retired government officer of ₹71.24 lakh by invoking the name of notorious underworld don Abu Salem. The fraudsters posed as officers from the Nashik Police, intimidated the victim with fabricated legal documents, and gradually convinced him to transfer the money into their accounts.

According to police sources, the fraud took place between September 23 and October 15, when the scammers repeatedly contacted the victim via phone and WhatsApp video calls. Introducing themselves as police officers from Nashik, they claimed that suspicious transactions linked to Abu Salem had been detected in the officer’s bank account.

The culprits further alleged that the funds were connected to stock fraud and extortion cases, and even claimed that the matter was listed among the “Top 10 Most Wanted” cases of the Mumbai Police. To make their claims believable, they sent the victim a fake arrest warrant bearing the Supreme Court’s name and a pamphlet featuring photos of wanted criminals.

The scammers then told the officer that 10% of the money deposited in his account represented Abu Salem’s “commission” in the crime. They warned him that if he failed to cooperate with the “investigation,” he could be implicated for having underworld links.

Frightened by the threats and official-looking documents, the retired officer transferred ₹71.24 lakh to multiple bank accounts “for verification purposes.”

Once he realised he had been conned, the victim filed a complaint at the East Region Cyber Police Station. Police have registered a case under sections related to cheating and cybercrime, and an investigation is currently underway to trace the accused.