Mumbai: A 60-year-old businessman from Agripada, identified as Shahab Yasoob Turabi, has fallen prey to an elaborate online fraud, losing ₹53 lakh after conmen posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Delhi Police tricked him into believing he was involved in a money-laundering case.
WhatsApp Call Sparks Fear Of Legal Trouble
According to FIR, Turabi, who runs a logistics and clearing business in Dubai and frequently travels between India and the UAE, received a WhatsApp call on November 3, from an unknown number claiming to be Rajiv Sinha from TRAI.
The caller alleged that a SIM card had been purchased using Turabi’s Aadhaar card and was used to send fraudulent messages. He was told that a case FIR had been registered against him with Delhi Police and that he would have to appear before them within two hours.
Fake Delhi Police Officials Join The Scam
Soon after, Turabi received another video call from a person identifying himself as Vijay Khanna from Delhi Police, who accused him of being linked to an alleged money-laundering case involving businessman Naresh Goyal. The impostor claimed that Turabi’s Aadhaar card had been used to open a Bank account in Delhi.
‘CBI Prosecutor’ Sends Forged Government Documents
The fraudsters then introduced another accomplice posing as SSP Samadhan Pawar, a “CBI Prosecutor.” He sent Turabi forged documents on WhatsApp — bearing government seals of the Government of India, Anti-Corruption Branch, and Directorate of Enforcement and demanded full disclosure of his bank details, business, and assets.
‘Digital Arrest’ And Fake Online Court Hearing
Believing the documents to be genuine, the frightened senior citizen complied. The accused then told him he was being placed under “digital arrest” and must remain in a closed room with his video call on until his supposed “bail hearing” the next morning.
The next day, the scammers staged a fake online court session, where a bogus “judge” allegedly canceled his bail and ordered all his accounts frozen. The fraudsters then instructed him to transfer his funds to two “government-secured accounts” for safekeeping. Under pressure, Turabi transferred ₹50 lakh to Bank account (Ahalya Enterprises) and ₹3 lakh to Bank account (Amandeep Singh).
Victim Realises The Fraud, Files Complaint
When the accused demanded more money, Turabi became suspicious. He discreetly searched online for “SSP Samadhan Pawar” and discovered reports of similar frauds under that name. Realizing he had been conned, he immediately disconnected the video call and lodged a complaint with the national cybercrime helpline (1930).
Case Registered, Probe Underway
The Central Region Cyber Police have registered a case against three unknown person imposed as Rajiv Sinha, Vijay Khanna, and SSP Samadhan Pawar under relevant sections of the BNS and Information Technology Act.
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Police are also investigating the bank account holders who received the fraudulent transfers. Authorities have once again warned citizens not to share personal or banking details with unknown callers claiming to be from government or law enforcement agencies.
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