Representative image of cyber scam.
Credit: iStock Photo
Mangaluru: A man fell victim to an online fraud and lost Rs 1.7 crore after fraudsters posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, the complainant said that he received a call from an unknown number on November 11. The caller, claiming to represent TRAI, alleged that another mobile number registered under the complainant's name was involved in illegal activities in Andheri (E), Mumbai. The caller further stated that an FIR was lodged against the complainant for harassment under the guise of marketing.
He was instructed to contact Andheri (E) police station immediately and was warned his mobile service would be deactivated within two hours.
Later, another person called, introducing himself as Pradeep Sawant and alleged that the complainant was implicated in a money laundering case linked to the Naresh Goyal fraud case. Sawant alleged that a fraudulent bank account under the complainant's name had been opened at Canara Bank, Andheri, and used to purchase a SIM card for illegal activities. He warned that the complainant would be arrested.
Following this, the victim received a video call on WhatsApp from two individuals who identified themselves as Police Officer Rahul Kumar and CBI Officer Akanksha. They shared fake documents showing a case registered against the victim in the CBI office. The fraudsters demanded money to "resolve" the case. Fearing threats, the complainant allegedly transferred Rs 1.7 crore through RTGS in a phased manner between November 13 and 19.
After he realised that he had been duped, a case was registered at the CEN police station and an investigation is on.