Gurugram, February 18: A man was allegedly defrauded of over Rs 56 lakh by cybercriminals claiming to have connections with the Mumbai underworld. The fraudsters posed as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Cybercrime, Mumbai, according to the police.

TOI reported that victim, Debraj Mitra, a resident of Sector 51, filed a complaint stating that he received a call on February 11 about a consignment from Taiwan containing passports, credit cards, narcotics, and laptops that had been stopped by customs. He was then connected to supposed “Crime Branch” officials. Online Scam in Bengaluru: Sales Executive Falls Victim to Cyber Fraud, Ends Up Losing Rs 38,000 After Receiving Fake SMS From Swiggy About Order.

The caller, impersonating an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), contacted Mitra via Skype, obtained his Aadhaar card information and photo, and claimed to be investigating a “money-laundering case” linked to the Mumbai underworld. Online Scam in Gujarat: Offering Part-Time Jobs, Two College Dropouts Dupe People of Rs 60 Crore in Three Months; Arrested.

Mitra was kept under surveillance through Skype video calls for 24 hours. On Monday, a person named Bal Singh Rajput, posing as the DCP of Mumbai Cyber Crime, informed Mitra that all his investments from fixed deposits, stocks, and mutual funds had been withdrawn and needed to be transferred to a bank for monitoring, alleging links to terrorist group transactions.

Mitra transferred a total of Rs 56,70,000 to the provided account, with the fraudsters promising to return the money after the investigation. However, he later filed a complaint after growing suspicious of the incident.

An FIR has been registered at the cybercrime police station following the complaint. A senior police officer stated that they are investigating the matter and attempting to identify the accused.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 18, 2024 11:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).