Kapra woman loses Rs 22 lakh to scammers posing as Delhi police, court officials

Hyderabad: A 65-year-old woman from Kapra lost Rs 22 lakh to fraudsters who impersonated Delhi Police officials and tricked her into believing she was involved in a money laundering case.

According to Rachakonda Police, the retired private-sector employee was contacted on June 16 by a man identifying himself as ‘Inspector Gopesh Kumar.’ The caller falsely claimed her Aadhaar number was linked to drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

Scammers ordered victim to wear white clothes and attend fake court hearing

He then sent her fake Supreme Court and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notices through WhatsApp video calls to intimidate her. Under the threat of immediate arrest, the victim was instructed to follow ‘legal procedures,’ including wearing white clothing and appearing on video for a so-called virtual court hearing.

The fraudsters further coerced her into revealing her bank balances under the pretext of an asset assessment. Believing the claims to be legitimate, the woman transferred Rs 2 lakh on June 17 and another Rs 20 lakh on June 19, after being assured the amount would be returned post-verification by the RBI.

However, when the scammers demanded more money, the woman grew suspicious, consulted her relatives, and realised she had been duped. She promptly lodged a complaint with Rachakonda Police, who have registered a case and begun investigating the fraud.

Public advisory

Officials are analysing call data records and bank transaction trails to trace the perpetrators. Authorities have once again urged citizens, especially senior individuals, not to trust unknown callers demanding money and to immediately report such incidents to the nearest police station or cybercrime unit.