What appeared to be an official call quickly turned into a large-scale financial scam, leaving a businessman from Karnataka defrauded of Rs 15.45 crore.
The victim, Ajit Gopalakrishna Saraf from Belagavi, received a call from an individual posing as the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation. The caller falsely claimed that 2 SIM cards registered under Saraf’s name were linked to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal.
The fraudster further alleged that Naresh Goyal had been arrested and that investigations revealed Saraf’s involvement in laundering Rs 25 lakh through his Canara Bank account, for which he had earned a commission.
Using fear as a tactic, the caller threatened immediate arrest and legal consequences unless Saraf cooperated. According to police, the victim was placed under extreme psychological pressure, leading to what is described as a digital arrest.
Under this pressure, Saraf transferred Rs 15.45 crore through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transactions between February 7 and March 9, 2026.
The fraud came to light when the victim realised the deception and approached the Cyber Crime Police Station to file a complaint.
During the investigation, authorities identified at least 10 primary beneficiary bank accounts involved in the scam. These accounts were traced across multiple states, including Hyderabad, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and West Bengal. This points to the involvement of an organised inter-state cybercrime network.
Police officials confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down the accused, freeze the linked bank accounts, and recover the lost funds.
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