Fraudsters Posed as Law Enforcement, Manipulated Victim into Transferring Money
Pune: A city-based anesthesiologist in her late 50s lost ₹70 lakh to cybercriminals who falsely accused her of links to an international organ trafficking racket and claimed she was under CBI investigation. The scammers threatened her with arrest and forced her to stay on a continuous call, convincing her that she was under surveillance.
An FIR has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Pune. The fraud unfolded in early March when the doctor made five large transactions to a fraudulent account, believing it was for compliance with the investigation.
Scammers Lured Victim Using Fake Bank Alert
The ordeal began in late February when the victim received a call from a fraudster posing as a bank executive who claimed that a malfunctioning credit card was registered in her name. When she denied having any such card, the fraudster suggested that her identity had been used for criminal activities and advised her to contact the Delhi CID.
She was then connected via video call to another fraudster dressed in a police uniform in a station-like setting. This fake officer claimed that a summons had been issued against her and that transactions worth ₹3 crore had been traced to her account, allegedly linked to organ trafficking and child trafficking rackets.
Manipulated into Transferring Funds
Fearing arrest, the doctor was pressured into revealing financial details, including her savings and investments. She was soon contacted by another fraudster posing as a prosecutor, who instructed her to transfer her funds to a “government account” for verification, assuring her that the money would be returned soon.
She eventually transferred ₹70 lakh over multiple transactions. The fraudsters even convinced her to mortgage her house to arrange more money. However, when she reached out to a relative for financial help, she realized she had been scammed and immediately reported the incident to the Cyber Crime Police Station.
Multi-Layered International Scam
Investigations have revealed that such frauds are part of complex multinational cybercrime syndicates. These scams involve:
- Fake identities of law enforcement officers
- Use of deepfake technology or impersonation over video calls
- Mule accounts to siphon victims’ money
- Transfer of stolen funds through cryptocurrency to international cyber masterminds
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious of such scams and to verify any law enforcement claims directly with official agencies.
