14 hours Ago
Vadodara: A 72-year-old resident of the Manjalpur area fell victim to an elaborate cyber fraud , losing nearly Rs 1.59 crore to scammers who implicated him in a fake Rs 287 crore money laundering case. The ordeal began on Sept 15, 2024, when the man received a call featuring a taped message claiming to be from TRAI.
The message urged him to press one if he had not committed any anti-national activity. Upon pressing one, he was connected to a man who alleged that an offence related to pornography was registered against him from Ganeshnagar, Andheri East, Mumbai. When the senior citizen expressed his inability to visit the Mumbai crime branch due to mobility issues, the caller connected him via video call to another individual claiming to be a crime branch officer, Anand Rana.
This "officer" informed the victim that he was being arrested for his alleged involvement in a Rs 287 crore money laundering case. The victim, whose wife is a retired railway employee, was then coerced into sharing his bank account details and kept on video calls for three days. The fraudsters even sent him an arrest warrant via WhatsApp to heighten the pressure.
On September 18, they escalated the fear by sending him a fake Supreme Court letter warning of three to seven years of imprisonment if he failed to comply with their conditions. Panicked, the elderly man sought help, and the scammers introduced him to a fake lawyer named Rakesh. The "lawyer" advised the man to liquidate all his fixed deposits for "cash verification.
" Believing this was necessary, the man transferred Rs 57.94 lakh in three instalments. When the victim later fell ill and requested funds for treatment, the fraudsters transferred Rs 1 lakh to him, further gaining his trust.
They then convinced him to sell his equity holdings, amounting to Rs 1.02 crore, and transfer the proceeds to them. The scammers maintained communication even after the transactions, calling the victim on Oct 30 to inquire about his health.
However, when the calls abruptly stopped, the man grew suspicious and attempted to contact the fraudsters, but their numbers were unreachable. After reporting the crime, the victim received sporadic calls from the accused, who provided vague responses when asked about the stolen money. In total, the man transferred Rs 1.
60 crore to the scammers, receiving only Rs 1 lakh back for his medical expenses. Police are investigating the case to track down the perpetrators..
