Hyderabad: A 70-year-old retired doctor residing in Srinagar Colony was duped of ₹2.2 crore by cybercriminals impersonating senior law enforcement officials, including an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The scam began on May 27, when the victim received a phone call from a person identifying himself as Prem Kumar Gautam, IPS. The caller falsely alleged that the victim was under investigation in a terror-linked money laundering case being probed from Lucknow.
WhatsApp Video Call with Fake NIA Chief Deepens Deception
Still recovering from the initial shock, the victim was then contacted through a WhatsApp video call by another fraudster posing as NIA Director General Sadanand Date. He claimed her phone number, seven ATM cards, and photos of 17 army personnel were found during the arrest of suspected terrorists.
She was sternly warned not to disclose the communication, being told the matter involved national security and could lead to her arrest if she failed to cooperate.
Convincing Legal Facade Used to Gain Victim’s Trust
To gain the victim’s trust, the fraudsters sent her a fake notarised acknowledgement, allegedly signed by an Additional Sessions Judge from Tees Hazari Court, Delhi. They demanded that she transfer her bank funds to various accounts for ‘investigation purposes,’ assuring her that the money would be returned after verification.
Between May 29 and May 31, the victim transferred a total of ₹2.2 crore across multiple bank accounts shared by the fraudsters.
Fraud Uncovered After Continued Demands and Family Intervention
The fraud came to light when the fraudsters continued to demand additional money. Growing suspicious, the victim consulted her brother, who immediately advised her to approach the police. She filed a formal complaint on June 3 with the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police.
Case Registered Under Stringent Sections of BNS and IT Act
Police have registered a case under several serious provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 111(2)(b) – Organised crime
- Section 308(2) – Extortion
- Section 318(4) – Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
- Section 319(2) – Cheating by personation
- Section 336(3) – Forgery for purpose of cheating
- Section 338 – Forgery of valuable security or will
- Section 340(2) – Using forged documents as genuine
In addition, charges under Sections 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act, pertaining to identity theft and cheating via computer resources, have also been applied.
Police Investigating Transaction Trail to Trace Culprits
Cybercrime officials have begun analysing bank transaction trails and electronic communication records to identify and locate the accused.
Authorities have reiterated their warning to the public not to fall prey to such high-pressure tactics, especially when legal threats are made over phone calls or digital platforms.
