Digital Frauds: Retired RBI officer loses Rs 49 L, Woman duped of Rs 3.81 L

Hyderabad: Cyber fraudsters duped two citizens, a retired RBI officer and a woman seeking part-time work, of nearly Rs 53 lakh in separate incidents here. Police have registered cases and launched investigations.

Retired banker duped of Rs 49 lakh in digital arrest scam

An 80-year-old retired Reserve Bank of India (RBI) employee was cheated of Rs 49 lakh after being trapped in a digital arrest fraud. On August 6, the victim received a call from fraudsters impersonating Mumbai crime branch officers.

Claiming that an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) case was filed against him in the Mumbai High Court, the callers, who introduced themselves as Inspector Sandeep Rao and Inspector Vijay Khanna, IPS, alleged that his Aadhaar number was linked to international money laundering.

To reinforce their claims, the fraudsters cited the 2023 arrest of businessman Naresh Goel in multiple laundering cases.

Accused shared forged documents from CBI

They even sent forged documents via WhatsApp, including an acknowledgement from the CBI and an arrest order on Enforcement Directorate letterhead carrying the victim’s details.

The elderly man was pressured into transferring money into what was projected as an “RBI AML Department account” for verification. Following their instructions, he transferred ₹49 lakh before realising he had been cheated. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case.

Woman loses Rs 3.81 lakh in fake job offer

In a separate incident, a 43-year-old woman was cheated out of Rs 3.81 lakh after falling prey to a fake online job offer.

While browsing Instagram on July 31, she came across a reel offering part-time jobs with an ‘Apply Now’ link. She was directed to download the Telegram app and connected with a handler named Nitya Manoj.

Initially, she was given small tasks such as liking videos and sending screenshots, for which she received Rs 320. Believing the offer to be genuine, she continued the tasks. Later, she was told her account showed errors and was asked to deposit money to clear them.

In this manner, she transferred a total of Rs 3.81 lakh. When her payments were neither credited nor returned, she realised she had been defrauded. Police have booked a case.

Police advisory

Cybercrime police have cautioned citizens against responding to unsolicited calls, job offers on social media and links shared via messaging platforms.

Fraudsters, they warned, are using increasingly sophisticated methods such as fake government documents, forged arrest warrants and lucrative job offers to trap victims.