A 68-year-old retired assistant sub-inspector in Nashik allegedly lost Rs 71 lakh after cyber fraudsters posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad and National Investigation Agency officials kept him under digital arrest for nearly 20 days, police said.
The fraud began on September 28, when a woman identifying herself as Inspector Sima Roy allegedly called the retired policeman and claimed to be from the ATS headquarters in Mumbai. She asked whether he had travelled to Kashmir. After he denied doing so, she allegedly told him that two terrorists had been arrested there and that one of them possessed his Aadhaar card.
The caller further claimed that the suspects were in the custody of the Lucknow ATS and that the victim would have to speak to its officials. About an hour later, he allegedly received a WhatsApp video call from a man identifying himself as Vikram Singh, who appeared in a police uniform.
The caller posing as Singh allegedly told him that his Aadhaar details had been used to open an account with a private bank through which Rs 70 crore had been laundered. The claim was said to be part of a First Information Report. The retired policeman denied having such an account or any involvement in money laundering.
The fraudsters then allegedly said that the NIA chief had approved a preliminary investigation into his assets. According to the police, they questioned him about his family, finances and investments, while threatening him with arrest and seizure of his property. He was also warned against leaving his home during the period the callers described as a digital arrest.
Between September 28 and October 17, the callers allegedly persuaded the victim to transfer money to bank accounts provided by them. He transferred Rs 41 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in three transactions made on October 5, 8 and 13. The total loss was Rs 71 lakh.
The callers allegedly stopped responding after the final transfer. The victim then realised that he had been cheated and approached the Nashik City Cyber Police on October 17, according to the FIR.
Police said the fraudsters used the names Sima Roy, Vikram Singh and Rakesh Agarwal. Some communication also took place through the messaging platform Signal. The Nashik Cyber Police have registered a case and sent letters to the bank involved, an officer at the cyber police station said. The police are awaiting the bank’s reply as part of the investigation.
