News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/22nd June 2024
A company secretary in Kolkata has fallen victim to a sophisticated scam where she was conned out of ₹51,000 by individuals posing as Delhi Police and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers. The perpetrators threatened her with arrest over a fabricated “money laundering case.”
The woman reported that she received a call on June 6 from someone claiming to be a Delhi Police officer. She was told that 35 bank accounts had been opened in her name and were being used to funnel money to criminals. To resolve the situation, the caller instructed her to download Skype and provide a video statement. She was also asked to share her Aadhaar details and isolate herself in a separate room to avoid any interference during the supposed police investigation.
The impersonator demanded that she transfer the funds in her bank account to a designated account for verification by the CBI, promising that the money would be returned within 15 minutes. They even issued an acknowledgment letter, stating that she was a suspect in a money laundering case and would be taken into custody if she did not comply.
Under duress, the woman transferred ₹51,000 from her ICICI Bank account to an IndusInd Bank account under the name ‘Sri Lalita Agency’ in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Realizing she had been scammed, she immediately filed a complaint with her local police station and reported the incident on the cybercrime portal. She also blocked her internet banking ID and informed her bank about the fraud.
This case is not isolated. Across India, numerous reports have surfaced of individuals being duped using similar tactics. One notable incident involved a retired senior executive of a multinational firm who was coerced into paying ₹85 lakh by scammers posing as officers from the CBI, customs, narcotics, and income-tax departments. This fraud also utilized Skype to intimidate and manipulate the victim. A police case was subsequently filed in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, where the scam occurred, and in Delhi.
The fraudulent gang took money from the retired executive via cheque, which was then transferred to a company called ‘Rana Garments’ operating an HDFC Bank account in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar. According to the FIR filed in Visakhapatnam, the funds were distributed from the HDFC account to 105 different accounts across India. HDFC Bank’s Uttam Nagar branch has also filed a police complaint regarding the fraud.
Victims of these scams have expressed frustration and criticism towards banks for not having stricter monitoring of Know Your Customer (KYC) rules. Some have even suggested potential insider involvement in these fraudulent activities, as seen in the case of the retired senior executive.
The complexity and coordination involved in these scams have raised questions about the speed and efficiency of the investigations. Victims have criticized the delays in tracing the account and money trails, which could potentially prevent further losses and bring the fraudsters to justice.
This growing trend of impersonation and cyber fraud highlights the need for increased vigilance, robust security measures, and prompt investigative actions to protect individuals from such sophisticated scams.
