Posing as public prosecutor & Mumbai cops, fraudsters dupe senior citizen of Rs 1.31 cr in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A retiree in Bengaluru was duped of Rs 1.31 crore by fraudsters posing as a public prosecutor and Mumbai police officers, who falsely accused him of involvement in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case.

The elaborate scam took place between January 23 and 31, during which the 74-year-old victim, S Ramesh (name changed), a resident of Chikkallasandra, was threatened and coerced, the police said.

According to officials, Ramesh first received a call from individuals claiming to be from the Sahar police station in Mumbai. They alleged that an SBI account in his name had been used for hawala transactions.

When Ramesh denied the accusations, the fraudsters escalated the pressure, claiming he was implicated in a "foreign money laundering" case under FEMA.

“The victim was sent fabricated documents and court orders,” a police investigator said. “He was warned that he faced a three-year jail term and that his wife would also be arrested.”

After realising that their ruse was working, the scammers introduced the next phase of their scheme. They told Ramesh that, since the matter was in court, he needed to speak with a public prosecutor.

Shortly after, he received another call from a person who identified himself as Deepak Saini, a "public prosecutor" in Mumbai. “Saini assured me that he would help in the case,” Ramesh stated in his complaint.

Under the pretence of assisting him, Saini asked for details of Ramesh’s bank accounts, jewellery, cash holdings, and properties.

"He instructed me to transfer all my bank savings to accounts they provided for ‘verification’, warning that failure to comply would result in my arrest,” Ramesh told the police.

Believing the threats, Ramesh transferred Rs 1.31 crore from his and his wife’s bank accounts to four accounts controlled by the fraudsters. They remained in constant contact, pressuring him to sell one of his properties and transfer the proceeds. This finally prompted Ramesh to contact the cybercrime helpline (1930) and file a complaint.

The South CEN police have launched an investigation.