Pune Anaesthesiologist loses Rs 70 lakh in cyber fraud

Pune: In a recent cyber fraud case, a Pune-based doctor was scammed out of Rs 70 lakh by cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials. The fraudsters falsely accused her of being involved in an “international organ trafficking racket” and claimed she was under investigation by the CBI, even threatening her with arrest.

The victim, an anesthesiologist in her late 50s, was initially contacted in late February by a man impersonating a bank executive. The caller informed her that a card registered under her name had malfunctioned, although she denied owning such a card. The fraudster then insisted that criminal activity was connected to the card and advised her to reach out to the ‘Delhi CID’ for further investigation.

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The victim was told that she was under surveillance and was coerced into sharing her financial details, including savings and investments. To further complicate the situation, a second fraudster posing as a prosecutor contacted her and advised her to transfer her funds to a "government account" for the ongoing investigation. The fraudster assured her that the money would be returned soon. 

In a series of manipulative tactics, the criminals convinced the doctor to transfer money from her savings and investments to the mule account. During the first week of March, the doctor reportedly made five substantial transfers, amounting to Rs 70 lakh, to a fraudulent mule account. As the demands for more funds continued, the victim was even persuaded to mortgage her house to meet the required amount.

It was only when the doctor spoke to a relative about the situation that the gravity of the scam began to dawn on her. The relative immediately recognized the signs of fraud, prompting the doctor to approach the cyber crime police station. An FIR (First Information Report) was lodged, and authorities began investigating the case.

Investigations have uncovered that these scams are orchestrated by multi-layered, geographically dispersed multinational syndicates. They exploit unsuspecting victims, directing money into mule accounts, and then channelling it to international cyber masterminds through cryptocurrency transactions.

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According to TNIE, in an advisory issued about such online blackmail cases, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in May last year, “A large number of complaints are being reported on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) regarding intimidation, blackmail, extortion and ‘digital arrests’ by cybercriminals posing as police authorities, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Department, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Enforcement Directorate and other law enforcement agencies.” These frauds were also highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme last year.