An ex-MD of a multinational company was defrauded of Rs. 4.8 crore by internet scammers. According to him on Monday, the Thane police’s cyber cell filed a formal complaint (FIR) against three individuals on Saturday. According to the police, the con artists pretended to be representatives of important organizations, forced the victim to reveal his private bank information and stole the money.
The accused recently called the victim, claiming to have found some illegal goods, including MDMA, nine expired passports and credit cards, in a package that was being sent to Taiwan, at the customs office of a well-known courier service, the official stated. According to the complaints, the victim claimed that they have his private data, including his Adhaar card number, to lead him to believe that he was being watched.
According to the official, they also told the victim about a suspected case that had been filed against him at neighboring Mumbai police station, Andheri and threatened to issue an arrest warrant and face legal repercussions under laws meant to stop money laundering and drug sales. According to the victim the accused promised him that an officer would look into the situation and gave him instructions to download a video calling app. The con artist, disguising themselves as representatives of the central agencies and using fake logos, promised to clear him under the pretense of an investigation.
According to the officials the victim was forced by the con artists to divulge private information, such as his bank account information, debit card details, and CVV. He also disclosed to them information about his real estate dealings in Pune and Murabad (in the Thane district). For the duration of the video call, they told the victim to keep the camera on for future actions. The following day, they demanded his personal information and charged him with carrying out an unlawful transaction. They said that the RBI and a private bank were also suspicious of his actions.
Additionally, he complied with the accused’s request and transferred Rs1 crore to his wife’s account. But the victim realized he had been duped when he later spoke with his son who lives in the UK, the official said.
According to him, the investigation revealed that Rs4.80 crore has been fraudulently taken out of the victim’s account.
The police added that the FIR was filed against the accused based on the victim’s complaint and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Indian penal Code.
