Bengaluru: Senior Citizen Falls Prey To Cyber Fraud; Loses Rs 1.2 Crore

BENGALURU: In yet another incident of cyber fraud, a 77-year-old woman from Bengaluru was duped of Rs 1.2 crore by fraudsters posing as officials from the telecom department and the Mumbai Crime Branch.

This deceitful act took place almost 20 days back and it took a toll on the elderly woman both mentally and financially, leaving her and her anguishing family in distraught.

As per reports, Bengaluru resident Lakshmi Shivakumar fell prey to a trap laid on June 26 when she received a call from an unidentified person claiming to be a representative of the Telecom Department. 

The caller alleged that a SIM card had been purchased in her name in Mumbai and was being used for illegal activities.

The scamsters instilled fear by telling her that the Telecom Department had filed a complaint with the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation, as per protocol.

Few hours after this distressing call, the victim received another call from different individuals introducing themselves as Sandeep Rao and Akash Kulhari, pretending to be officers from the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Sensing vulnerability, the fraudulent callers accused the victim of being involved in laundering Rs 60 crore and instructed her to share the details of her bank account and investment proofs for verification. 

They mounted the pressure exerted on the elderly woman by threatening her with arrest for non-cooperation, showing a fabricated FIR and an arrest warrant allegedly issued by the Supreme Court to make it sound real.

The intimidation tactics used by the cyber criminals paid off as she submitted to their demands and shared her bank details, out of fear for legal consequences.

They immediately withdrew Rs 1,28,70,000 from her account as soon as shared the details. They assured her that the money would be returned once the investigation was complete. 

However, the scammers did not revert back after the transaction was made. The victim realised she had been conned when she was unable to reach out to them.

Subsequently, the devastated woman discussed the incident with her family and friends, who urged her to seek help from the police.

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