Pune: Retired Pimple Saudagar Based Engineer Loses ₹81 Lakh in Cyber Fraud Orchestrated by Fake CBI Chief  

17 June 2024

Pune- A retired chemical engineer got a call from a cyber crook posing as Mumbai CBI Chief. He was told that a Supreme Court order had been issued to arrest and freeze his assets. The engineer is a Pimple Saudagar resident and got duped Rs 81 lakh of his life savings. The fraud started with a call telling him that 24 complaints had been received against his number for illegal advertisement. On May 14 this year, the Department of Telecommunications issued an advisory to urge citizens to not respond to fake calls wherein callers threaten to disconnect their mobile numbers or that their mobile numbers are being misused in illegal activities.

An FIR was registered at Sangvi police station under Pimpri Chinchwad police earlier this week. The complainant had gotten a call from an unidentified number in which he was told that his and his wife’s phone numbers would be disconnected in the third week of May. The caller mentioned that around 24 complaints had been registered against their numbers for illegal advertisements and objectionable content and a case had been registered against him at the Fort Police Station in Mumbai.

The complainant was soon connected to a caller posing as an inspector from Fort Police Station. The ‘officer’ told him that money laundering charges had been invoked against him and that he would have to speak to ‘Mumbai CBI Chief’ to get further details. The complainant was made to join a video call and was connected to a profile that had a police logo as the display picture. The person posing as a CBI officer on call told the victim that the Supreme Court had issued an order to freeze him and arrest him over charges of illegal activities and money laundering linked to his account.

As the complainant denied any involvement in such activities, the ‘officer’ mentioned that his case could be taken for ‘priority investigation’ to clear his name. The crook soon got a hold of the complainant’s personal and financial details including bank balance and investments. The complainant was asked to make large transfers of Rs 60 lakh and Rs 21 lakh to ‘government accounts as security deposits. The victim followed the instructions in order to clear his name.

The complainant got suspicious when the conman asked him to liquidate his investments and realized that he had gotten trapped in the vicious web of cyber fraud. He immediately approached the Pimpri Chinchwad police and an FIR was registered at Sangvi police station. A police officer stated that the modus operandi of the crime is similar to that of drugs in parcel scams but the pretext used for threatening the victims are different.

In parcel scams, the victims are often contacted by fake international courier service executives claiming drugs have been found in parcels under their name. Such fraudsters impersonate IPS officers to further deceive victims. They pressure them into transferring huge amounts in the name of customs fees or legal charges. They also attempt to intimidate victims by claiming they are under surveillance.