Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Nov 22: An 80-year-old woman in Dadar was defrauded of Rs 1.08 crore by fraudsters posing as police and government officials, police said on Friday. The victim, who relies on her pension and savings, maintains multiple bank accounts.

The scam began on October 27 when a man claiming to be Vijay Khanna of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) called her, warning that her mobile number would be deactivated as her Aadhar was allegedly linked to a serious crime. He sent a fake Aadhar Misuse Complaint via WhatsApp and instructed her to participate in an online inquiry.

Later, the same number called again, this time claiming to be a Colaba police officer. The caller alleged the woman was involved in a money laundering case alongside businessman Naresh Goyal. The call was then transferred to a woman posing as IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who intimidated the victim into sharing her bank account details.

To make the scam appear authentic, the fraudsters sent fake notarised supervision messages, arrest letters, and NOC verification documents over WhatsApp. They assured her that transferring money to the accounts they provided would be verified and refunded within 72 hours, along with a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).

Between October 31 and November 7, under fear, the victim transferred a total of Rs 1.08 crore to three bank accounts via RTGS and NEFT. The fraudsters repeatedly delayed responses and eventually blocked her calls.

Realizing she had been scammed, the woman filed a complaint with the National Cyber Helpline on November 13. Following this, the Central Region Cyber Police Station registered an FIR against two unidentified accused and the account holders of the recipient accounts.

Police have invoked sections related to cheating, impersonation, criminal intimidation, and cyber fraud, and the investigation is underway.