A 67-year-old farmer from Jalgaon was stripped of his life savings after cybercriminals staged a dramatic fake police operation, convincing him that he was wanted in a terrorism and money-laundering case.
The scam began when the man received a sudden call on October 30 from someone introducing himself as an officer from the Mumbai crime branch. The caller warned that the farmer’s Aadhaar information had surfaced in a bank account linked to criminal transactions, setting off a chain of fear and confusion.
What seemed like a routine verification call quickly escalated. The following morning, the farmer was contacted through a WhatsApp video call by a man dressed in a police uniform, seated against a backdrop bearing the Mumbai Police insignia. The impersonator declared that the farmer’s arrest had been sanctioned in a case allegedly filed at Colaba police station.
To strengthen the illusion, the fraudster forwarded fabricated documents, claimed that the farmer had been placed under “digital custody,” and demanded that he remain connected on video at all times. He explicitly instructed the victim not to seek help or inform anyone, insisting that cooperation was the only way to avoid being “taken into custody.”
Terrified and isolated, the farmer complied with the scammer’s directions and ultimately transferred Rs 9.50 lakh to an account provided during the call.
