Representative image of cyber scam.
Credit: iStock Photo
Mangaluru: A woman has reportedly lost a total of Rs 1.16 crore in a cyber fraud case where conmen impersonated senior officers from Delhi Police, CBI, Income Tax, and Enforcement Department through WhatsApp video and audio calls.
In a complaint to DK CEN Station, the victim said that on September 24, when the victim received a WhatsApp video call claiming to be from the Department of Telecommunications, Delhi.
The caller falsely informed her that her Aadhaar and PAN details were being used to buy a SIM card in Delhi, which was allegedly used to send illegal advertisements and harassment messages to the public. When the woman denied any involvement, the caller said he would “transfer the call” to Delhi Police.
Soon after, another person appeared on the video call wearing a police uniform, identifying himself as Vijay Kumar, a “Delhi Police and CBI officer.” He falsely accused her of being involved in human trafficking, illegal advertisements, and money laundering, claiming that a court had already sentenced her to three months in prison and ordered her bank accounts and properties to be seized.
The fake officer then demanded complete details of her bank accounts and assets. Fearing arrest, the woman shared her details.
She was then told to transfer all her money to “safe accounts” provided by them, under the pretext that her accounts were about to be frozen and that the money would be returned once the “case was cleared.”
She was also warned not to disclose the matter to anyone, calling it a “national security issue.”
Over the following weeks—from September 25 to November 11—the fraudsters continued contacting her through different WhatsApp numbers. They even sent fake notices in the names of the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate, further intimidating her.
Acting under pressure, the woman reportedly transferred Rs 1.16 crore in multiple transactions between September 29 and October 8 , to the accounts specified by the fraudsters.
After being realised that she was duped, a complaint was registered.
The DK CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(D) and 66(C) of the IT Act and sections 126(2),318(4),319(2),351(2),351(2).308(6),204 3(5) of BNS.