Online scams are fast emerging as a major cyber threat in India. The last few months have seen a surge in cyber fraud cases, with scammers adopting increasingly sophisticated methods. An example of this is the recent rise in parcel fraud, where victims receive calls about a fake confiscated package at the airport. However, scammers are constantly changing their methods. For example, as public awareness about parcel fraud grows, scammers are now shifting their focus to newer threats. A recent case highlights this change: a 68-year-old retired chemical engineer from Pimple Saudagar lost Rs 81 lakh of his life savings after he received a phone call alleging illegal ads linked to his phone number.

According to the Indian Express report, the incident started in the third week of May when the engineer received a call from an unknown number. The caller told him that 24 complaints have been filed against his phone number for illegal advertisements and objectionable content. The caller further threatened that his and his wife’s phone numbers would be disconnected and a case has been filed against him at Mumbai’s Fort Police Station.

To make the victim believe in the credibility of the scam, the scammer also connected him to another person introducing himself as the Inspector of Fort Police Station. This so-called officer claimed that the engineer was involved in money laundering activities and needed to speak to the ‘Mumbai CBI Chief’ to sort out the issue. The complainant was then connected through a video call to a profile that showed the police logo as the display picture, adding to the illusion of authenticity.

During the video call, the person who claimed to be a CBI officer escalated the matter by saying that the Supreme Court has issued an order to freeze the engineer’s assets and arrest him due to alleged illegal activities and money laundering linked to his account. The mention of the Supreme Court frightened the victim even more and despite repeated denials of any wrongdoing, he was told that his case may be taken up for ‘priority investigation’ to clear his name. To further aggravate the matter, the scammer asked the victim for his detailed personal and financial information, including his bank balance and investment details. The victim was then forced to transfer Rs 60 lakh and Rs 21 lakh ‘as security deposits to government accounts’, with the promise that these transfers would clear his name.

The fraudsters’ demands continued and they insisted the victim to cash out his remaining investment. This made the engineer suspicious and he finally realised that he had been cheated. He approached the police and later lodged an FIR.

According to the report, a police official familiar with the investigation found that the modus operandi of this scam is similar to the infamous ‘drugs in parcel’ scam, albeit with different excuses to scare victims. In the ‘drugs in parcel’ scam, victims are contacted by individuals pretending to be officials of an international courier service, claiming to have found drugs in parcels sent to their addresses. These victims are then often induced to speak with fake law enforcement profiles via Skype, where they are forced to make huge payments under various pretexts such as custom charges or legal fees, along with threats of bank account hacking and monitoring.

To combat such frauds, authorities are urging citizens not to respond to fake calls threatening to shut down their mobile numbers or accusing them of misusing them for illegal activities.