In yet another instance of a senior citizen being duped with the threat of a bogus criminal case, a 72-year-old woman in the city has lost Rs 32.8 lakh to fraudsters, police said on Friday.
As per the complainant, who lives in suburban Mulund, her husband received a call from a man who introduced himself as an official of "Colaba Crime Branch".
Transactions of Rs 2.5 crore connected to money laundering had taken place through their bank account and Rs 25 lakh deposited as commission, the man claimed, while asking for details about the family.
He also warned them not to disclose the matter to anyone, warning that they could be arrested otherwise. The next day, another fraudster dressed as a police officer contacted the couple through a video call.
The woman told him that they had Rs 37 lakh in their bank account and some gold jewellery in their locker. The fraudster instructed her to transfer Rs 32.8 lakh to a bank account he provided, claiming it was required for the investigation. Fearing arrest, the woman went to the bank and transferred the amount via RTGS. She also sent the payment slip to him on WhatsApp.
Later, when she narrated the incident to her son-in-law, he immediately advised her to file a complaint.
The woman then approached the East Region Cyber Cell and lodged a complaint. Further probe is on, said a cyber police official.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
