New Delhi: In a shocking cyber fraud case from Pune, a 62-year-old retired bank manager was duped of Rs 2.22 crore. Over the course of several months, scammers posed as government officials and convinced the victim to invest in multiple policies. The incident has raised serious concerns about the growing threat of cyber scams targeting vulnerable individuals.
As per the police complaint, reported by the Indian Express, the scam started in late 2023 and continued until recently. Over this period, the victim received multiple calls from individuals pretending to be officials from well-known organisations, including the Ministry of Finance, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). These scammers claimed to represent these agencies and persuaded the victim to buy several insurance policies, promising high returns at maturity.
The scammers, to make their scheme more convincing went so far as to use the names of well-known figures like Deendayal Upadhyaya and made up titles for finance experts and government officials. The calls sounded so legitimate that the victim was easily tricked into trusting them. As the scam progressed, the victim was persuaded to buy multiple insurance policies and asked to pay various fees, including GST, Income Tax, TDS, transaction fees, verification charges, and NOC fees.
The report reveals that the scammers used at least 19 different identities to keep up the ruse. Each time the victim made a payment for the insurance policies, the fraudsters asked for more money and claimed it was for processing or recovery fees. As the scam continued, the victim received calls from fake officials who said her earlier payments had been sent to fraudulent accounts.
To recover the lost funds, she was instructed to make more payments. This led her to lose even more money. Throughout the scam period, the victim lost her savings while being manipulated and threatened by the scammers. The case is still under investigation and authorities are warning people not to trust calls or offers that seem too good to be true.
Here’s how to stay safe:
– Verify the caller’s identity: If you receive calls from unknown numbers claiming to be from government agencies or financial institutions, always double-check their identity using official contact details from their websites.
– Protect your personal info: Never share personal or financial details, such as bank account numbers, OTPs, or policy numbers, over the phone or with unfamiliar people.
– Question unrealistic offers: Be wary of investments that promise unusually high returns or benefits. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
– Confirm payment requests: If asked to pay fees like GST, TDS, or other charges, always verify the legitimacy of the request with the concerned organization before transferring any money.