Victim threatened with arrest, promised money would be returned after ‘verification’
Hyderabad: In a disturbing case of cybercrime, a 70-year-old retired doctor from Srinagar Colony reportedly lost ₹2.2 crore after being tricked by fraudsters who posed as senior IPS officers and even impersonated NIA Director General Sadanand Date in a fake terror investigation.
According to the police, the scammers manipulated the victim into believing she was involved in a terror-related money laundering case. They threatened her with arrest and jail if she failed to cooperate, all while promising that her money would be returned after a “verification process.”
Fraud Began with a Call from a ‘Fake IPS Officer’
The fraud was initiated on May 27, when the doctor received a call from a man identifying himself as Prem Kumar Gautam, IPS. He falsely claimed that she was implicated in a terror case in Lucknow, accusing her of financial links with terrorist operatives.
Soon after, she received a video call on WhatsApp from another fraudster posing as NIA Director General Sadanand Date. He told her that her phone number, seven ATM cards, and 17 photos of army officers had been found with suspected terrorists. He warned her that the case had national security implications and insisted she keep silent.
Fake Court Documents, Extortion Tactics Used
To convince her further, the fraudsters sent a forged notarised document, allegedly signed by a Tees Hazari Court judge, adding credibility to their fake narrative.
Under immense pressure and fear, the doctor transferred ₹2.2 crore across multiple bank accounts between May 29 and May 31. However, when the scammers continued to demand more money and refused to return the initial sum, she realised she had been duped.
Following this, she confided in her brother, who advised her to file a police complaint. A case was then registered on Monday.
Police Launch Cyber Probe
Police have booked the culprits under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including:
- 111(2)(b): Organised crime
- 308(2): Extortion
- 318(4): Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
- 319(2): Cheating by personation
- 336(3): Forgery for the purpose of cheating
- 338: Forgery of valuable security
- 340(2): Using a forged document as genuine
The case also includes sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act for identity theft and online impersonation.
Police have started analysing the bank transaction trails and are coordinating with cybercrime experts to trace the accounts and IP addresses used by the fraudsters.
