Retired banker duped of Rs 1.05 crore with fake letters, terror funding claims

According to the FIR, the fraud began on July 25 when the victim received a call from an unidentified man claiming that his Aadhaar card and debit card had been linked to a money laundering case. Before the victim could seek further details, the caller disconnected after saying he would shortly receive a WhatsApp video call from police officials.

The victim then received a WhatsApp video call in which the caller appeared before a backdrop displaying the national flag and the Maharashtra Police emblem and introduced himself as an officer from Colaba police station. During the conversation, the caller asked about the victim’s occupation and family before telling him that senior officers would contact him the following day.

During subsequent calls, another person posing as a senior police officer claimed that a bank account in the victim’s name had been used for money laundering and terror financing. The fraudsters also sent images of what they claimed were the victim’s debit card and bank statement through WhatsApp

“The documents, coupled with repeated phone calls, convinced the victim that the investigation was genuine. They warned him that if he failed to cooperate or disclosed the matter to anyone, he could be arrested and his family could face consequences,” an officer from the Pune City Cyber Police said.

Believing the claims, the victim prematurely broke his fixed deposits and transferred the money to bank accounts specified by the fraudsters. They assured him that the funds would remain in an RBI-controlled account and would be returned after the verification process was complete.

Between July 27 and July 28, he transferred Rs 1.05 crore in three RTGS transactions. The fraud came to light on July 29 when the victim asked the callers to share photographs of their identity cards. After they avoided the request, he realised he had been cheated, the officer said.