In another case of cyber scam, a 77-year-old woman from Bengaluru was duped of Rs 1.2 crore by cyber criminals posing as officials of the telecom department and Mumbai crime branch. The scam lasted for nearly 20 days, affecting the elderly woman mentally and financially and putting her and her family in distress.

According to a report by The Hindu, the scam started on June 26 when Bengaluru resident Lakshmi Sivakumar received a call from an unknown person who introduced himself as a representative of the Department of Telecommunications. The caller alleged that a SIM card had been purchased in her name in Mumbai and was being used for illegal activities. The caller also told her that as per protocol, the Department of Telecommunications has lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation. A few hours after this harassing call, the victim received another call from different individuals who introduced themselves as Sandeep Rao and Akash Kulhari and pretended to be officers from the Mumbai Crime Branch.

These individuals falsely accused the victim of being involved in a fraud of Rs 60 crore and asked her to share her bank account details and proof of investments for verification. They also threatened to arrest her if she did not cooperate, showing a fabricated FIR and an arrest warrant allegedly issued by the Supreme Court to lend authenticity to their claims.

Fearing legal repercussions, the victim decided to give in to their demands and shared her bank details. As soon as she shared the details, the fraudsters transferred Rs 1,28,70,000 from her account, and assured her that the money would be returned after the investigation was completed. However, after the transfer, the scammers stopped calling her. When she was unable to contact them back, the victim realised that she had been cheated. She later spoke about the incident to her family and friends, who urged her to approach the police.

How to stay safe?

• While online scams are on the rise in India, the first and foremost thing is to be cautious and help the elderly. Scammers often threaten individuals and use their emotional distress to extort money. Elderly people who are not well-versed with technology are more vulnerable to these scams.
• Always verify the identity of the caller with the official contact details available on their website.
• Never share personal or financial information over the phone, especially with unknown callers.
• Always remember that real officers do not threaten immediate arrest or demand money to solve the problems. If you receive such calls, inform the family and the police so that action can be taken accordingly.
• Always stay calm and don’t fall for these fake threats on calls. Confirm and then take action.