Mumbai: Scammers in Pune, Maharashtra, tricked a retired LIC officer out of Rs 99 lakh by pretending she was caught up in a financial scam. They even used Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s name, faked arrest warrants, and sent her documents that looked official. The whole thing left her shocked, and now the police are digging into what happened.
The Modus Operandi
The scam unfolded in October, when a cybercriminal contacted the victim, claiming to be an officer from the Data Protection Agency. During a video call, the caller accused her of illegal financial transactions linked to her Aadhaar-linked mobile number. The call was then transferred to another person posing as senior police officer George Mathew, who alleged money laundering and threatened to seize all her bank accounts.
Fake Warrants and Digital Threats
To intimidate her further, the criminals sent a fabricated arrest warrant with fake signatures of FM Nirmala Sitharaman and a government seal via WhatsApp. They claimed that due to her age, she was under 'digital arrest' and needed to transfer her money for RBI verification. Believing the scam, the victim transferred Rs 99 lakh in multiple installments.
Discovery and Police Action
Suspicion arose when the woman tried contacting the callers and all numbers were switched off. She immediately reported the fraud to Pune Cyber Police. Investigations revealed the gang operates from Thane, near Mumbai. Authorities are now tracking the bank accounts, mobile numbers, and methods used to execute the scam, warning citizens about impersonation of government agencies like DPBI and TRAI.
