In a new form of online fraud, cyber criminals in Nashik used a person's Aadhaar card to make a fake call, pretending to be officers from the Mumbai Cyber Cell and Crime Branch. They claimed that drugs were found in a courier parcel in the person’s name, and even said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was monitoring their home and family.
The criminals tricked the victims into believing they were under "house arrest," forbidding them from leaving their home or contacting anyone until the investigation was complete. The victim was pressured into transferring a total of ₹3.5 lakhs online.
A complaint was filed with the city’s cyber police following this incident.
On September 25, the victim received a WhatsApp call from someone pretending to be from a courier company and a police officer from the Mumbai Cyber Cell. The caller falsely claimed that a parcel containing 200 grams of drugs, five passports, and three ATM cards was found in the victim’s name. Additionally, they stated that three fake bank accounts had been opened in Mumbai using the victim's Aadhaar card.
To further scare the victim, the cyber criminals sent a fake arrest warrant via WhatsApp, alleging that the victim was involved in money laundering. They even claimed that CBI officers were stationed outside the victim’s house, monitoring the family. Under the pressure of this fake “house arrest,” the victim was told to send regular updates from home every hour.
The criminals demanded that the victim deposit ₹3,36,793 through UPI, pretending that the money was required to verify the victim’s bank accounts for the investigation. After realizing they had been scammed, the victim immediately reported the case to the city’s cyber police.
The police are now investigating the case to trace the suspects and warn citizens to stay cautious of such scams.