Despite all efforts and precautions, cyber fraud continues to plague India, with new victims emerging every day. The latest incident comes from Mumbai, where a retired individual from a Multi National Company (MNC) fell prey to cyber criminals, losing a staggering Rs 25 crore. The victim, a woman holding the position of director in the MNC, was targeted by fraudsters in February this year, highlighting the ongoing prevalence of such crimes in the city.
According to reports, the victim raised funds by taking a gold loan from her mother and withdrawing from her own mutual fund, which she then transferred to the perpetrators. The ordeal began with a WhatsApp call received by the woman, purportedly from an official of the Department of Telecommunications, who informed her that her three mobile numbers were to be blocked. Subsequently, she was connected to an individual claiming to be a CBI officer, who alleged that a money laundering complaint had been filed against her, involving her Aadhaar card and mobile number.
The woman was coerced into believing that transferring money to a specified bank account was necessary to resolve the case, with promises of reimbursement once the investigation concluded. The fake CBI officer assured her that the funds would be routed to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with a receipt available at the local police station. Trusting the fraudulent scheme, the woman transferred a total of Rs 25 crore.
When neither the promised reimbursement nor any further communication materialized, the woman grew suspicious and reported the incident to the police. Currently, authorities are investigating the matter, with approximately 31 accounts frozen in connection to the case.