- A retired teacher from Mahabubabad lost Rs 82 lakh in a cyber fraud
- Fraudsters posed as telecom, police, and CBI officials to threaten the couple
- Victims were falsely told about criminal cases linked to the teacher's Aadhaar
A retired teacher from Telangana's Mahabubabad lost Rs 82 lakh to a "digital arrest" cyber fraud. The fraudsters posed as telecom officials, police officers and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) personnel and threatened the couple with fake criminal cases and arrest threats.
The fraud began on April 11, when the teacher's wife received a call from someone claiming to be an Airtel official. The caller warned that the retired teacher's mobile number would be blocked as 17 harassment cases were allegedly linked to his Aadhaar card.
The couple was then connected through a WhatsApp video call to another fraudster dressed in a police uniform, who introduced himself as a sub-inspector from Bengaluru. He falsely claimed that a Canara Bank account had been opened in Mumbai using the teacher's Aadhaar details and that Rs 75 lakh linked to an international criminal network had been deposited into the account.
The scammers showed a fake arrest warrant, placing the couple under so-called "digital arrest" and warning them not to reveal the matter to anyone. Another accused, posing as a CBI officer, repeatedly threatened the victims during the ordeal.
The retired teacher and his wife transferred their lifetime savings, fixed deposits and loan amounts to the accounts provided by the fraudsters.
The victims transferred Rs 49 lakh on April 15, Rs 22.22 lakh on April 18 and Rs 11.22 lakh on April 22, through RTGS transactions to the fraudsters.
The cyber criminals assured the couple that the amount would be returned after "legal verification" by May 2. However, the accused switched off their phones and stopped responding from May 3. Realising they had been trapped and cheated, the couple approached the police and lodged a complaint at the Mahabubabad Town Police Station.
"Police have registered a case based on the victims' complaint and efforts are on to trace the cyber criminals and take strict legal action against them," said Deputy Superintendent of Police Thirupathi Rao.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
