Mumbai: A 69-year-old man from Mulund was allegedly defrauded of Rs 15 lakh after a cybercriminal impersonating a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer threatened him with arrest over fabricated allegations of terrorism and money laundering.
According to the East Cyber Police, the accused contacted the victim through WhatsApp between September 27 and October 14, when he was staying at his residences in Mulund (East) and Guhagar in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district. The caller introduced himself as Sandeep Diwan, a CBI officer based in Bengaluru, and warned that both the complainant and his son could face arrest.
To make the allegations appear credible, the fraudster claimed that an individual named Sadakat Khan had opened a Canara Bank account using the victim’s identity. The account was allegedly used for 155 transactions involving Rs 3 crore. The caller further alleged that Khan had transferred Rs 30 lakh, purportedly 10 per cent of the total amount, to the complainant. He also claimed that one of 187 ATM cards recovered from Khan was registered in the victim’s name.
The accused allegedly portrayed the matter as a national security investigation and shared a fabricated police complaint carrying the victim’s name. He repeatedly contacted the elderly man, warned him against discussing the matter with his son and pressured him into following instructions.
On October 14, the victim transferred Rs 15 lakh to a Yes Bank account specified by the fraudster. The accused subsequently demanded an additional Rs 10 lakh. The complainant later informed his son and submitted an online complaint on November 2.
East Cyber Police registered a case of impersonation, cheating and fraud against an unidentified accused. Police have sought transaction details from the bank and directed that the suspected accounts be frozen.
