cyber scam of ₹1.3 crore in Bengaluru to 77-year old woman

A 77-year-old woman from Bengaluru was conned out of ₹1.28 crore by cyber criminals posing as telecom and Mumbai Crime Branch officials.

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 77-year-old woman from Bengaluru was defrauded of nearly ₹1.3 crore by scammers posing as telecom department officials and Mumbai Crime Branch officers. The elaborate scheme unfolded over nearly 20 days, leaving the elderly woman and her family both financially and emotionally devastated.  

According to a report, the scam began on June 26 when Lakshmi Shivakumar, a resident of Bengaluru, received a call from someone claiming to be a representative from the Telecom Department. The caller alleged that a SIM card in her name had been used for illegal activities in Mumbai and that a complaint had been filed with the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation.  

Hours later, she received a second call from individuals identifying themselves as Sandeep Rao and Akash Kulhari, who pretended to be officers from the Mumbai Crime Branch. They falsely accused her of involvement in laundering ₹60 crore and demanded that she provide her bank account details and investment documents for verification, the publication stated. To bolster their deception, they even presented a fake First Information Report (FIR) and a forged Supreme Court arrest warrant.  

Fearful of the legal threats, the victim complied and shared her bank details. The fraudsters then transferred ₹1,28,70,000 from her account, promising that the money would be returned after the investigation was complete. Once the transfer was complete, the scammers cut off all contact, leaving the woman stranded and realizing too late that she had been scammed.

She then sought help from her family and friends, who advised her to report the incident to the police, the report said.