Elderly man loses Rs 9 lakh as cyber fraudster posing as cops threaten to arrest him

Mumbai, Nov 20 (PTI) Cyber fraudsters posing as police personnel allegedly duped a 79-year-old Mumbai man of nearly Rs 9 lakh as they threatened to arrest him in a money laundering case, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place recently and based on a complaint lodged by him, the police registered a case against unidentified persons, an official of Charkop police station said.

The complainant, who lives with his wife in Kandivali, is a retired employee. Last month, he received a call from a man, who identified himself as Gupesh Kumar.

The caller informed him that his mobile SIM card would be deactivated within two hours and that another SIM issued in his name was being used for fraudulent activities. He further claimed that the Delhi police had registered a case against him.

The fraudster falsely told the man that Rs 2 crore linked to a money laundering case had been deposited into his bank account, and that he would soon be arrested under money-laundering charges. His bank account would also be frozen, according to police.

Claiming that the case would be closed only after verification, he convinced the victim to transfer money into several bank accounts. The fraudsters assured him that the amount would be returned after the inquiry. Trusting them, the senior citizen transferred nearly Rs 9 lakh, they said.

The police have booked the accused under charges of impersonation, cheating, and various sections of the Information Technology Act.

Investigators are now tracing the bank accounts into which the money was transferred and gathering details of the account holders, further investigation is underway, official added. PTI ZA NP