In a disturbing display of cyber deceit, a 33-year-old woman from Chandivali, Powai, fell victim to a scam leading to a loss of Rs 26.33 lakh. The fraudsters exploited her trust and fear by impersonating high-level officials, including the former Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud.
The con began on October 5, when the woman received a call from someone claiming to represent the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), alerting her that her phone number was implicated in sending threatening messages. The narrative escalated with additional calls from individuals posing as officers from the Cyber Crime Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In a particularly bold tactic, the fraudsters issued a false ‘digital arrest’ order. She was instructed to isolate herself for seven days and avoid discussing her situation under the guise that she was under investigation for alleged connections to a money laundering case linked to Jet Airways founder, Naresh Goyal.
As per the police report, the victim was further manipulated into believing that her bank accounts were scrutinized and involved in the laundering activities. “An FIR had already been filed, and immediate compliance was necessary to avoid criminal charges,” stated a supposed police officer during one of the calls.
The deceit deepened with video calls from another fabricated character, ‘CBI officer Akash Kulhadi,’ who pressed for urgent financial information. Under duress, the woman was coerced into transferring Rs 23 lakh to a so-called ‘Secret Supervision Account’ to protect her funds during the investigation. She was assured that all funds would be returned once her innocence was established.
Adding to the complexity of the scam, the fraudsters staged a fake Supreme Court hearing involving the impersonation of Dr. D Y Chandrachud, where a phony audio recording was presented as evidence in her case. Under this continued pretext, they demanded an additional Rs 23 lakh, of which she transferred Rs 3.33 lakh before doubts led her to cease further payments.
The scam was uncovered when she attempted to contact the fraudsters on October 15 regarding the return of her funds, leading to the stark revelation of the fraud. She promptly filed an online complaint with the Bandra Kurla Complex Cyber Police Station, resulting in a case of cheating and impersonation being registered against the unidentified scam artists.
