Noida: A 77-year-old man was allegedly put under digital arrest in Noida for 16 days from February 26 to March 12 and ended up losing Rs 3.14 crore. Police said the cybercriminals threatened him that his old number was linked with money laundering activity.
According to HT, the victim, is a retired functional director from the board of a government-owned insurance company and resides with his 71-year-old wife at a high-rise in Sector 75, said.
In his police complaint, the victim said, “On February 25, I received a call from an unidentified number, and the caller enquired about a mobile number. I said I did not remember if it was my number as I had lost my old phone a long time ago. When I asked the reason for his call, the caller verified my name and said that a complaint related to money laundering and investment fraud was filed against me at a police station in Mumbai.” as quoted by HT.
According to investigators, following this discussion, the cybercriminal acting as a police official requested that he appear before Mumbai police for questioning. When the victim informed them that he is a senior citizen, they agreed to handle the matter online and asked him to appear before the Chief Justice of India via video chat on February 26.
“Posing as IPS and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, they inquired about all his financial details and directed him to not reveal the conversation to anyone as it was a matter of national security,” said Cyber Crime branch, station house officer, Ranjeet Singh.
Police stated the victim’s wife was aware of the situation, but due to fear, she chose to remain silent until the enquiry was completed. “Me and my wife were kept under strict surveillance by cameras from February 26 to March 12,” according to the report.
SHO Singh said the victim had transferred Rs 3,14,59,966 through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) in multiple transactions after visiting the bank. He was assured that money would be returned after a week of investigation, but when he did not receive money, he realised that he had fallen into a trap.
Later, the case was reported at the National Cyber Crime Portal (NCRP), and a case under sections 308(2) (extortion), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act was registered at the Cybercrime branch on Wednesday, and further investigation is underway.
