Biggest Cyber Fraud Case in Pune: Mumbai Man Loses Rs 6.3 Crore
Retired Bank Manager Defrauded Of Rs 2.22 Crore In Cyber Insurance Scam In Pune
A top executive from a software company in Mumbai fell victim to cybercriminals, losing Rs 6.29 crore in what has been identified as the largest online fraud case handled by the Pune Cyber police.
The criminals, who posed as CBI officials, kept the 59-year-old man under “digital arrest” for five days, from November 9 to November 14, at his home in Pashan, claiming they were verifying and investigating money laundering activities linked to his mobile phone number.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Vivek Masal stated that the victim, who is set to retire in six months, was deeply distressed when he filed his complaint. The police reassured him and guided him through the process of lodging a formal complaint, resulting in an FIR being registered. A dedicated police team has been established to analyze the audio and video calls exchanged between the victim and the fraudsters, as well as the bank accounts to which the money was transferred, in order to trace the financial trail. He mentioned, “We have reached out to the relevant telecom companies and banks to obtain call data records and account statements as soon as possible.”
Senior Inspector Swapnali Shinde of the Pune Cyber police referred to the complaint and explained that the fraudsters contacted the victim through a mobile messaging app, informing him that he was under digital arrest due to his suspected involvement in a money laundering case. The victim became extremely anxious when they claimed to have his Aadhaar card details.
The criminals instructed him to send a photocopy of his Aadhaar card and information about the funds in his bank accounts for verification. They gathered details about the Rs 6.29 crore he had across three bank accounts, insisting it was part of the inquiry process. They then requested that he transfer the money to their accounts, claiming it was necessary according to Reserve Bank of India regulations. They assured him that he would receive his money back after the inquiry if he was not found to be involved in any money laundering activities, Shinde added.
The police reported that the victim complied with the fraudsters’ demands, believing they were from the CBI, and made five online and RTGS transactions to transfer the money to their accounts. He later expressed his inability to send more funds when the crooks asked for additional transfers.
At this point, the fraudsters pressured the victim to take a loan of Rs 60 lakh to resolve the issue, threatening to send police to arrest him if he refused. They intimidated him by claiming they had previously jailed others in similar situations. Eventually, the victim recognized he had been deceived and ceased communication with the criminals, but he continued to receive threatening calls about his arrest until November 19, according to Shinde.
