A shocking incident of cyber fraud has unfolded in Mumbai, where a railway official lost a staggering Rs 9 lakh to scammers impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The elaborate ruse involved a lengthy video call during which the victim was manipulated into believing he was embroiled in a money laundering case. Here’s what happened:
On the morning of September 16, the 59-year-old victim, who serves as the Principal Chief Electrical Engineer (Construction) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and resides in Colaba, received a voice-recorded message on his mobile phone. The message ominously warned that his phone would be blocked within two hours and urged him to dial ‘0’ for assistance. Curiosity piqued, he pressed ‘0’, inadvertently connecting him to the fraudsters.
A caller, claiming to be a CBI officer, informed him that he was under investigation for money laundering. The fraudster asserted that the victim’s mobile number was linked to a bank account involved in illicit activities. Despite the Mumbai Railway official’s insistence that he had no ties to any criminal case, the caller persisted, elaborating on a supposed link to a significant money laundering operation involving Rs 5.8 million and a man named Naresh Goyal.
As the conversation progressed, the victim, initially at work, was instructed to return home so that he could be further questioned by the CBI. Following these orders, he activated the video call at 2 PM, unwittingly placing himself in the hands of skilled manipulators.
During this 20-hour ordeal, the fraudsters extracted extensive personal information about the victim’s family, finances, and properties. They fabricated a scenario in which he would be “presented” before a judge via video call to address the alleged unauthorized bank transactions.
What happened in “court”?
On the morning of September 17, the call continued until around 9:30 AM, at which point the victim was introduced to a person pretending to be a judge. This imposter claimed to have uncovered suspicious transactions linked to the victim’s account and demanded comprehensive banking information.
Under mounting pressure, the victim was instructed to visit his bank and deposit ₹9 lakh into an account specified by the fraudsters. Following their directives, he executed the transfer through RTGS.
It wasn’t long after completing the transaction that the victim began to suspect he had been scammed. Rushing to the bank manager, he sought to halt the transaction, only to learn that the funds had already been transferred and could not be retrieved.
Case of cyber fraud reported
In the wake of this distressing experience, the victim reported the incident to the Colabala police station, leading to the registration of a case of cyber fraud. Authorities are currently investigating the matter, as they work to track down the culprits behind this sophisticated scam.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by cybercriminals and highlights the importance of vigilance when dealing with unexpected communication, especially concerning legal matters.
(With PTI inputs)
