An 84-year-old woman (a retired pathologist) lost Rs46 lakh to a man impersonating as a CBI officer, who told her that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had started an investigation against her and an arrest warrant had been issued.
The fraudster instilled fear in the victim, claiming that her account was involved in money laundering activities. The scammer obtained her 80-year-old sister’s bank details as well and forced her to transfer money from that account as well.
The Western Cyber Region filed an FIR on March 19. As per the FIR, the victim, Albelu Iyer, resides in Andheri East with her 80- year-old sister, Janaki. On December 20, 2024, she received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown number, with the caller identifying himself as CBI officer Ajay Kumar. He told her that a bank account had been opened in her name at Canara Bank, through which crores of rupees had been transacted, and warned her that she would face serious consequences.
Iyer insisted that she had done nothing wrong. The following day, she received another WhatsApp call, this time from someone claiming that the ED had initiated an inquiry. The scammer convinced her to cooperate with the investigation and asked for her bank details, which she provided, including her HDFC and SBI accounts.
On December 30, the scammer contacted her again, claiming that an arrest warrant had been issued. Under pressure, Iyer transferred Rs15 lakh from her SBI account to a Bank of Baroda account provided by the scammer. On January 4, she transferred another Rs15 lakh from her HDFC account to a Federal Bank account.
Subsequently, the scammer enquired about her family. Iyer mentioned that her sister lived with her. The scammer then obtained Janaki’s bank details, and the remaining amount was transferred from that account. On February 27, Albelu Iyer confided in her niece about the incident, who immediately realised it was a scam.
Iyer then approached the Cyber Police and filed a complaint. The police registered an FIR against an unidentified individual under various relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
