Digital Detention: Cyber frauds use ICICI Bank’s ex-MD Chanda Kochhar’s name to defraud people

The complainant, who works in an Andheri-based company, received a call on July 24 this year from a person who claimed to be the executive of Sodexo, informing him that a parcel had come from Chennai using his mobile number and it has certain illegal items in it.

When the complainant refused saying he had not ordered any parcel, the Sodexo executive connected his phone call to a police officer, Sunil Dutt Dubey, claiming to be posted with the Andheri Marol police station.

Dubey later spoke to the complainant over a video call using the Skype app. In the video call, Dubey was seen wearing a police uniform and the background resembled a police station, states the FIR.

During conversation, he told the complainant that he was a suspect in the Chanda Kochhar money laundering case.

Dubey sent photos of Kochhar’s arrests and told him that she was arrested in a Rs 100 crore fraud, and the complainant is also an accused in the case as one of his bank accounts was used for duping eight to nine people, of whom one died by suicide, states the FIR.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Kochar and her husband Deepak in a loan fraud case in December 2022. Later, the ED probed their money laundering case.

Police said Dubey also told the complainant that using his mobile number and the bank account, Kochhar received a commission of Rs 23 crore. Dubey also sent several documents in the name of CBI, ED, and others, a police officer said.

After the complainant pleaded that he was innocent and has nothing to do with any money laundering case, the fraudsters, under the pretext of verifying the source of all money in his bank account, instructed him to send the same to a bank account they provided with the assurance that all will be refunded after the verification process.

They also sought his Aadhaar card details, bank account number and mobile number to clear his name of all criminal charges, stated the police complaint.

The complainant made multiple transactions and sent total Rs 14 lakh through RTGS and cheque to the bank accounts into which he was asked to make the transfers.

Later, when the complainant called the accused persons to know the status of the case, he got no response. They also deleted the ‘legal documents’ they sent such as warrants, notices, etc., to him over WhatsApp and other apps.
The complainant then realised that he was defrauded. He eventually approached the Central Region cyber police station and filed a complaint.

“This modus operandi in the cybercrime world is known as ‘digital detention’ and is currently trending in cybercrimes. People should not believe any such calls and video calls made by any police officer or officials from CBI, ED, NCB, crime branch, or cyber cell. They send fake and bogus summon notices and other ‘legal documents’ using the names of law enforcement agencies or courts. People should immediately visit a nearby police station before sending any money,” said an inspector from the cyber police station.