A 68-year-old South Mumbai resident was allegedly defrauded of Rs 7.21 crore after cyber fraudsters threatened to link her to money laundering and terror funding cases, police said on Thursday.
The woman, who retired from a private company in 2024, received a call in April from a man identifying himself as ‘Rajkumar Das’, an official of the National Data Protection Board of India. He allegedly claimed that her mobile number had been involved in a cybercrime linked to money laundering and funding for the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and terrorists.
She was later contacted through a WhatsApp video call by a person identifying himself as ‘John Mathew’, an Assistant Commissioner of Police attached to Panchavati Police Station in Nashik.
‘Mathew’ allegedly sent her notices and orders that appeared to have been issued by a court, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The fraudsters then claimed they could help prove her innocence and pressured her to transfer money into multiple bank accounts and a cryptocurrency wallet. They also made her open an account on a cryptocurrency platform and move funds to the crypto wallet.
Fearing legal action, the woman broke her fixed deposits, redeemed mutual funds and transferred money as instructed.
She later searched online and realised that she had been targeted in a cyber fraud. She subsequently contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930.
Following her complaint, the South Region Cyber Police registered a case and began an investigation. Police said the probe was underway.
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