Posing as cops, conmen extract Rs 78.60 lakh from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar resident

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 11 (PTI) A retired government employee from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was allegedly duped of Rs 78.6 lakh by two fraudsters, one of whom posed as a senior IPS officer from Maharashtra, an official said on Friday.

Complainant Eknath Joshi (77) told the police that he received a call on July 2 from a person who identified himself as a policeman and claimed that a terrorist organisation had sent Rs 20 lakh to his wife’s account.

The caller first allegedly threatened to arrest Joshi and seal his property. He then told Joshi his senior was a top IPS officer who could save him.

The “senior IPS officer” spoke to Joshi and promised to help him as he was a Maharashtrian, the official said, citing the FIR.

The accused called Joshi on July 4 and asked him to transfer money to different bank accounts. Joshi complied, shelling out Rs 78.6 lakh from his and his wife’s accounts to the conman, the official said.

The accused also told Joshi that he would get back his money after their “inquiry”.

The Joshi couple later shared their ordeal with their relatives, who told them to file a police complaint, the official said.

A case was registered at the Kranti Chowk police station on Wednesday night, the official said, adding that a probe is underway. PTI AW NR