An Elderly from Bengaluru Duped of ₹1.2 crore After Receiving a Fake Call from a Fake Telecom Department Officer
An Elderly from Bengaluru Duped of ₹1.2 crore After Receiving a Fake Call from a Fake Telecom Department Officer
With the help of cybercriminals who pretended to be officers from the Mumbai Crime Branch and the telecom department, a Bengaluru woman who was 77 years old lost ₹1.2 crore.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: A woman from Bengaluru, who was 77 years old, was defrauded out of ₹1.2 crore by cybercriminals who pretended to be officers from the Mumbai Crime Branch and the telecom department. This is yet another instance of a cyber scam. The elderly woman was affected both physically and financially by the fraud, which took place over the course of over twenty days and left her and her family in a state of anguish.
Lakshmi Shivakumar, a resident of Bengaluru, received a phone call on June 26 from an unknown individual who claimed to be a representative of the Telecom Department, as stated in a story by The Hindu. This was the beginning of the scam. It was said by the caller that a SIM card had been obtained in her name in Mumbai and that it was being used for actions that were against the law.
On top of that, the caller informed her that, in accordance with the established procedure, the Telecom Department had lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Crime Branch in order to conduct additional investigations. A few hours after receiving this upsetting call, the victim received another contact from a different group of people who introduced themselves as Sandeep Rao and Akash Kulhari. They pretended to be officials from the Mumbai Crime Branch.
They made a bogus accusation against the victim, claiming that she was involved in the laundering of sixty crores of rupees, and they requested that she reveal the details of her bank account as well as documentation of her investments for verification. Additionally, they threatened to arrest her for non-cooperation, displaying a false First Information Report (FIR) as well as an arrest warrant that was reportedly issued by the Supreme Court in order to lend credibility to their assertions.
As a result of being intimidated and afraid of the legal repercussions, the victim made the decision to agree with their requests and reveal her bank information. As soon as she disclosed the information, the con artists removed ₹1,28,70,000 from her account and assured her that the money would be provided back to her once the investigation was finished. In spite of this, the con artists ceased calling her when the transfer was completed. The victim became aware that she had been taken advantage of when she was unable to get in touch with them again. Following that, she recounted the experience with her family and friends, all of whom urged her to bring the matter to the attention of the authorities.
How to stay safe from Such Actions?
- Even if there has been an increase in the number of scams that occur online in India, the most important thing is to remain watchful and to assist the elderly. People who commit scams frequently frighten victims and take advantage of their emotional turmoil in order to steal money. People of advanced age who are not well-versed in technological matters are more susceptible to falling victim to these many scams.
- Always make sure that the caller is who they say they are by utilizing the official contact information that may be found on their website.
- Under no circumstances should you ever divulge private or financial information over the phone, particularly to unknown callers.
- It is important to keep in mind that reputable officials would never demand money transfers or threaten their immediate arrest in order to resolve disputes. If you receive calls like these, you should inform your family as well as the police so that appropriate action can be taken.
- Never lose your composure, and do not give in to these fake threats that you receive on calls. Check, and then take action.
About The Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blogs, he also writes for brands including Craw Security, Bytecode Security, and NASSCOM.
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