HIGHLIGHTS

Scammers impersonated CBI and cybercrime officials, falsely accusing the victim of involvement in drug and arms trafficking.

They manipulated her into transferring her fixed deposit savings to a bogus ‘safe’ account.

The fraudulent scheme was revealed when she consulted her bank manager, but by then, a staggering ₹53 lakh had been lost.

In an alarming new case of online fraud, a retired government employee residing in Paschim Vihar, Delhi, fell victim to a malicious scam, losing ₹53 lakh in the process. The perpetrators masqueraded as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and cybercrime units. They contacted the victim under the pretense that her name was implicated in grave criminal matters, including drug and arms trafficking. The scammers further coerced her into transferring her life savings to their accounts within a stipulated time of five days.

On January 11, the unfortunate victim received a phone call from an individual claiming to be an officer from the cybercrime department in Hyderabad. This caller instilled fear by alleging that her name was linked to a criminal network involved in drug and weapon distribution. He fabricated a case file number, effectively creating a fictional narrative that a digital arrest warrant had already been issued against her. The caller even insisted that she must travel to Hyderabad within a mere two hours to absolve her name from any wrongdoing.

In her panic, the victim explained that she was unable to make such an urgent trip. The scammers then intensified their deceptive tactics, claiming that the mastermind behind this illicit operation, along with other criminals, had been apprehended and that her involvement had been confirmed. According to her complaint, the perpetrator asserted that a colossal sum of Rs 3 crore had allegedly been funneled into a bank account opened in her name in Hyderabad, further implicating her in the fraudulent activities.

Afterward, another individual posing as a senior officer from the CBI joined the conversation. He assured the victim that he would assist her in clearing her name due to her senior citizen status but insisted that she remain available for communication at all times and ensure her phone was charged. They filled her mind with paranoia, suggesting that several influential people, including bankers and politicians, were entangled in the case.

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The victim was then instructed to transfer her fixed deposit funds to a so-called ‘safe’ bank account provided by the scammers. They convinced her that she would gain access to a “super-secret account” if she complied, and required her to make an online deposit immediately. Over the next five days, the scammers maintained constant communication through phone calls and video chats, systematically instilling fear and urgency in the victim, which convinced her to comply without involving her family in the predicament.

It wasn’t until she finally reached out to her bank manager that the harmful reality of her situation began to unfold. The bank manager took swift action, reporting the scam immediately; however, by this point, the victim had already lost a whopping ₹53 lakh, which constituted her entire life savings. A formal police report has now been filed in relation to this case, and authorities are actively pursuing the criminals responsible for this insidious fraud.