Retired IIT Bombay medical officer loses Rs 4.62 crore in cyber fraud; Two arrested
Digital Arrest
Mumbai: A retired medical officer from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has fallen victim to a high-value cyber fraud, allegedly being coerced into transferring Rs 4.62 crore under the threat of CBI action in a fabricated money laundering case.
The victim, a 74-year-old doctor, was reportedly targeted through impersonation and digital intimidation, raising growing concerns over the vulnerability of senior healthcare professionals to organised cybercrime.
The case came to light after a retired medical officer approached the police upon realising that she had been duped into prematurely withdrawing her life savings, including fixed and recurring deposits, over a period of several months.
According to NDTV, the fraud began when the doctor received a video call from an individual posing as a telecom department official. This was followed by another caller impersonating a senior IPS officer, who claimed that her Aadhaar card had been misused to open a bank account involved in transactions worth nearly Rs 6 crore, allegedly linked to money laundering activities.
Under sustained pressure and fear of legal consequences, the retired medical officer transferred Rs 4.62 crore between October 2025 and January 2026 into multiple bank accounts shared by the cyber fraudsters. After realising that the threats were fraudulent, she lodged a formal complaint with the police.
As reported by NDTV, the investigation was initially registered for cheating by impersonation and offences under the Information Technology Act, before being transferred to the Western Region Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Police for further probe.
During the investigation, police tracked the money trail and identified two individuals who had allegedly opened and supplied multiple bank accounts to the cybercrime syndicate.
Police officials said that the accused withdrew the deposited amounts and handed the money over to the cyber criminals in exchange for a commission. Based on these findings, the cyber cell arrested both the accused. Further investigation is underway.
