Mumbai woman loses ₹22 lakh to scam accusing her of spying for Pakistan
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Mumbai: A 64-year-old woman from Girgaon, south Mumbai, was allegedly duped of ₹22.4 lakh by cyber fraudsters who accused her of spying for Pakistan, police said on Wednesday. This marks the first known case in the city where espionage was used as a ploy in a cyber scam.
According to officials, the woman received multiple calls earlier this month from unidentified numbers. One of the callers introduced himself as “Prem Kumar Gupta,” claiming to be an officer with the Delhi Anti-Terrorism Squad, posted at the Jammu and Kashmir Border Police Station.
The caller falsely informed her that a case had been filed against her for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistan. He warned that she could face ten years in prison and a fine of ₹50 lakh. To appear credible, he even sent her a photo of a fake identity card over the phone.
Frightened by the threat of arrest and legal trouble, the woman transferred ₹22.4 lakh between June 5 and 10 to several bank accounts provided by the caller. After making the payments, the calls stopped, and she realised she had been scammed.
She filed a complaint with the South Region Cyber Police Station on June 13. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act against unidentified persons, officials confirmed.
With PTI inputs