In a case reminiscent of a Bollywood thriller, a 71-year-old woman from Matunga was ‘digitally arrested’ by cyber fraudsters who staged a fake online court trial, extorting Rs 4.82 crore from her after falsely convicting her in a made-up case.
Police have arrested two suspects, Bapi Das, 53, and Saurish Nag, 41, both from Kolkata, who are believed to be part of a cyber fraud ring that provided accounts for transferring the stolen money. The investigation revealed that Rs 30 lakh was sent to Das’s account and Rs 25 lakh to Nag’s.
The victim, a senior citizen, first received a call in December from an unknown number about a mobile recharge. Two days later, she received another call instructing her to press ‘9’ to connect with customer service. Trusting the caller, she complied.
The caller, impersonating a TRAI official, claimed her number was linked to illegal activities involving a scam of Rs 6.8 crore. When she refused to provide her bank details, another person called pretending to be a customs officer investigating the case.
The fraudsters informed her of an ongoing online court hearing and instructed her to wear white for a video appearance. In fear, she complied and was shown a courtroom scene with a fake judge, orderlies, and individuals acting as lawyers and officials. During the sham trial, she was wrongfully sentenced. In a panic, she later received calls offering to ‘help’ her escape the sentence for a fee.
Over the following weeks, she liquidated her savings and mutual funds, transferring Rs 4.82 crore to various accounts provided by the scammers. When the demands for more money continued, she remembered recent news about cyber frauds and realized she had been scammed.
She contacted the 1930 cyber helpline and filed a complaint, leading to a case being registered with the Central Cyber Police, according to an officer.
After the FIR, Senior Inspector Mousami Patil and her team from the Central Cyber Police began an investigation and gathered information about the suspects. At the same time, the South Cyber Police, who were looking into a different cyber fraud case involving Rs 20.26 crore, identified 14 beneficiary accounts. They apprehended eight individuals, including Das and Nag, and sent summons to six more.
Senior Inspector Patil said, “The South Cyber Police had apprehended Das and Nag during their investigation. In our probe, we found that R30 lakh and R25 lakh from our victim’s defrauded amount had gone to their accounts. Based on their findings, we arrested the duo in our case.”
Speaking to the media, Senior Inspector Nandkumar Gopale of the South Cyber Police said, “We have traced 14 accused across multiple states and arrested eight, including Das and Nag. Of the R20.26 crore defrauded in our case, R50 lakh was transferred to Das’s account and R1.38 crore to Nag’s.”
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
