Retired Bank Employee Loses Rs 22 Lakh In Fake ED And CBI Officer Scam
Cyber criminals posing as government officials threatened a 76 year old retired bank employee with a money laundering case and fraudulently collected Rs 22 lakh from him.
A retired bank employee in Udupi lost Rs 22 lakh after cyber fraudsters allegedly impersonated officials from the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation. The scammers used fear and false accusations of a money laundering case to convince the elderly man to transfer money into accounts provided by them.
Despite repeated awareness campaigns by police about digital fraud, such cases continue to rise as criminals use advanced methods and impersonate senior government authorities to target victims.
Fraudsters created fear using fake investigation claims
According to the complaint, the victim received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown number on July 10 around 3 pm. During the call, a person wearing a police uniform allegedly introduced himself as an officer from the Mumbai Colaba Cyber Crime unit.
The caller claimed that a bank account had been opened in the victim’s name in Mumbai and alleged that hundreds of crores of rupees had been transferred through the account as part of an illegal money laundering operation.
The fake officer then warned the retired employee that he was under investigation and created panic by claiming that his financial details needed immediate verification.
Multiple calls used to convince the victim
Between July 11 and July 16, the fraudsters continued contacting the victim through WhatsApp calls. They allegedly introduced themselves as senior officials, including an ADGP, an ED officer named Anil Kumar and cyber crime officials.
The scammers instructed the victim to transfer money through RTGS for verification purposes, assuring him that the amount would be returned after the investigation process.
Believing their claims, the retired bank employee transferred a total of Rs 22 lakh to the bank accounts provided by the accused.
Police begin investigation after complaint
The victim realised he had been cheated after the transactions were completed and approached the CEN Cyber Crime Police Station in Udupi to file a complaint.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions related to cheating and cyber fraud. Authorities have started an investigation to identify the people involved in the scam.
Cyber experts continue to advise people not to share financial details or transfer money based on calls from unknown individuals claiming to be government officials. Genuine investigation agencies do not ask citizens to transfer funds to personal accounts for verification purposes.
