Gujarat Online Scam: Retired NGO Worker Loses Rs 60 Lakh in Cyberfraud; Fraudster Admits Scam With ‘We Are Doing Scam With You, Sorry’

Preeti Oza, a 65-year-old retired NGO worker from Gandhinagar, fell victim to a cyberfraud case scam that resulted in a loss of Rs 60 lakh between July 3 and July 11. The fraud was discovered only after one of the perpetrators sent her a message admitting to the scam, stating, “We are doing scam with you, sorry.”

According to Oza’s FIR with the Gandhinagar Cyberpolice, she received an IVR call from a courier company on July 3. After choosing the option to speak with an executive, she was contacted by a man named Arjun Negi, who informed her that a parcel she had supposedly sent to Taiwan had been seized by the customs department due to the presence of a passport, credit card, and narcotics.

Oza, recognizing the tactics of cyber fraudsters, threatened to report the incident to the police. In response, Negi claimed that her case was already filed with the Mumbai Crime Branch and directed her to speak with an inspector named Ajay Bansal. Bansal then requested Oza to send her Aadhaar card via WhatsApp, which she complied with. Shortly thereafter, Oza was contacted by someone posing as a "CBI officer," who informed her that her name had appeared in a money laundering case involving a former MLA and Minister Nawab Malik.

According to a report of TOI, The unknown individual made Oza listen to an audio recording detailing the money laundering case. She was then told that a DCP named Balsingh Rajput would make the final decision on her case, and she would need to provide her bank account and investment details.

Between July 3 and 10, a fraudster tricked Oza into transferring Rs 60 lakh to a fake account. On July 11, she received WhatsApp messages admitting the scam, leading her to contact the cybercrime helpline.