Fraudsters Posing as Mumbai Police Officers Cheat 66 Year Old Udupi Woman of Rs 65 Lakh
Cyber criminals allegedly used a fake money laundering case and arrest threats to deceive the victim into transferring her savings.
A 66 year old woman from Udupi district in coastal Karnataka has reportedly lost Rs 65 lakh in a cyber fraud after scammers impersonating Mumbai Police officers threatened her with arrest in a fabricated money laundering case.
According to police, the victim, identified as Sheila, received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number on July 13. During a subsequent video call, a man dressed in a police uniform introduced himself as an inspector from Colaba Police Station in Mumbai.
The caller falsely claimed that around Rs 20 crore in suspicious funds had been deposited into her bank account and alleged that she was under investigation in a money laundering case.
The fraudster further told the woman that an arrest warrant had been issued against her and claimed that Mangaluru Police could arrest her at any time. Alarmed by the allegations, she shared photographs of her bank documents and other personal details with the caller.
The accused then instructed her to transfer money to multiple bank accounts, claiming the transactions were necessary to verify her accounts and clear her name.
Police said that between July 13 and July 17, the woman transferred a total of Rs 65 lakh to various accounts before realising that she had been cheated.
After discovering the fraud, she approached the Cyber, Economic and Narcotics Police Station in Udupi and lodged a complaint.
A case has been registered under Section 66D of the Information Technology Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Authorities have urged the public to remain cautious and not trust unsolicited phone or video calls from individuals claiming to be police officers, CBI officials, Enforcement Directorate officers, or representatives of any government agency. They also advised people never to share banking details or transfer money to unknown persons based on such claims.