“I’m calling from CBI…”: Fraudsters exploiting parents’ concerns for their children

New Delhi: Manish Chaudhary (name changed) received a call last week from someone claiming to be from the CBI.

The person on the other side of the call alleged that his son, Harshit Chaudhary, was involved in a gang rape. The person then demanded Rs 50,000 from Choudhary, who paid the amount to clear his son's name.

A new form of cyber scam is doing rounds these days, preying on the fears and emotions of sometimes gullible and god-fearing parents. The scam involves perpetrators impersonating as officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and falsely accusing the parents' son being involved in acts of heinous crimes, such as gang rape.

Another such victim, Ali Akbar, a resident of Delhi received a call on April 3. The caller impersonated as a CBI officer inquired about the whereabouts of his son, Izaan Ali.

The caller then informed that Izaan was involved in a case of gang rape. Quick to respond, Ali Akbar confronted the caller and informed him that his son was right in front of him, debunking the false accusation.

Akbar told NewsDrum that the accent of the caller appeared to be that of a Pakistani.

Another incident involved Shankar Kumar Verma, whose son Shrestha Burman resides in Delhi, while he himself lives in Nawada, Bihar. Shankar received a similar call from someone claiming to be a CBI officer, accusing his son of being involved in criminal activity. The scammers then asked him to pay a sum of Rs 75,000.

As Shankar's son was located far away from him, and also was not picking up the call, this added the uncalled distress and urgency of the situation.

These fraudulent calls exploit the natural instinct of parents to protect their children, causing panic and distress in unsuspecting families.

The perpetrators use the fear of legal consequences to coerce the victims into compliance, often demanding money in exchange for dropping the false charges.

So, if you get a call like this, don't panic. Make sure to check if your kid is okay before doing anything what the caller alleges.

Even more important is to understand why a CBI sleuth will ask for money?