A 75-year-old man from Mumbai’s Grant Road allegedly lost ₹1.64 crore to cyber fraudsters posing as police officers and initially refused help from real police, believing they were imposters.
Acting on a tip-off on July 25, officers from the South Cyber Police Station reached the senior citizen’s residence to prevent him from transferring more money. However, the victim refused to let them in and instead contacted the fraudsters through a WhatsApp video call for guidance.
According to police, the scammers convinced the man that the officers at his doorstep were fake and instructed him not to cooperate. Despite repeated attempts by the police to explain the situation, he remained unconvinced and kept the door locked.
To gain his trust, the cyber police sought assistance from uniformed officers from the local police station and members of the housing society. The breakthrough came when three society members, along with police officers and another victim of a similar cyber fraud, explained the scam to the elderly man. He eventually realised he had been deceived and allowed the officers inside.
Police said the victim had transferred ₹1.64 crore in multiple transactions between June 8 and July 25 to bank accounts operated by the fraudsters.
A case has been registered against unidentified accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Investigators are tracing the suspects through the banking trail and have urged citizens to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from law enforcement before transferring money or sharing personal information.
