Mumbai: Senior Citizen Duped of ₹2.25 Crore in Cyber Fraud in Goregaon, One Arrested

Mumbai Police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating a 77-year-old resident of Goregaon of over ₹2.25 crore in a cyber fraud case. The accused, identified as Kishan Bhaveshbhai Makwana, was apprehended by officials of the North Regional Division during the investigation.

According to police, the elderly complainant was duped after fraudsters falsely accused him of opening a bank account in Jammu and Kashmir for terrorists and receiving ₹70 lakh as commission through it. The accused Makwana, a native of Gujarat, was allegedly in contact with cyber fraudsters and had opened a bank account for them, which was later used to transfer the cheated money.

The 77-year-old complainant lives in Goregaon with his wife. The couple has two daughters, both of whom are married. On November 15, 2025, the complainant received a phone call around 11 am from a man identifying himself as Akash Sharma, who claimed to be a senior officer from the Mumbai Police Headquarters.

The caller asked whether the complainant knew a particular mobile number. When the elderly man denied any connection, the caller told him he would have to appear for questioning. When the complainant said he could not visit as his wife was unwell, the call was allegedly transferred to a person claiming to be from the Lucknow ATS unit.

Another caller, identifying himself as Premkumar Gautam, spoke to the complainant and alleged that a bank account had been opened in Jammu and Kashmir using the complainant’s Aadhaar card. He further claimed that money meant for suspected terrorists had been deposited in that account and that the complainant had received 10 percent commission amounting to ₹70 lakh.

The elderly man denied all allegations, stating he had no links with any terror organisation or the bank account in question. He told the caller that he had only visited Jammu as a tourist in 2025 and had not returned since.

Soon after, the caller disconnected. The complainant then received a WhatsApp message containing a notice and a supposed legal agreement, bearing the signature of NIA Chief Sadanand Date. The documents warned that failure to cooperate in the investigation could result in 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹5 lakh. Copies of a fake arrest warrant and seizure order were also attached.

On November 17, the caller again contacted the complainant, claiming that a confidential investigation was underway and instructing him not to discuss the matter with anyone. The victim was asked to share details of his bank accounts.

After sharing the information, he was told that to clear his name he would need to transfer the funds from his accounts to another account provided by the caller. The fraudster assured him the amount would be returned once the inquiry was completed. The caller also threatened that failure to cooperate could result in his arrest from his residence.

Fearing arrest, the elderly man transferred over ₹2.25 crore in multiple transactions between November 18 and December 3, 2025, to the bank account provided by the fraudsters.

After receiving the money, the accused told the victim that his “bail had been approved” and no arrest would be made. They also assured him that the amount would be returned soon. However, the money was never transferred back.

When the complainant later tried to contact the callers, their phones were switched off. He then informed his daughter, who advised him to lodge a police complaint.

Following this, the victim filed a complaint with the North Cyber Cell of Mumbai Police. Based on the complaint, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.

During the investigation, technical analysis revealed that part of the cheated money had been transferred to a bank account belonging to Kishan Makwana. Acting on this lead, police detained him three days ago and later arrested him after his involvement in the crime was confirmed during questioning.

Police said Makwana had opened the bank account for cyber fraudsters, which was used to receive the cheated money. Funds from various fraud cases, including that of the complainant, were routed through his account before being transferred to the cyber criminals. In return, Makwana allegedly received a substantial commission for facilitating the transactions.

Further investigation into the case is underway to trace other members of the cyber fraud network.