Pune: Cybercrooks, posing as Mumbai police officers, cheated an 86-year-old retired bank manager from Wanowrie of Rs1.28 crore between Dec 19 last year and Jan 21 by threatening to arrest him in a ‘money laundering case’.Pune cybercrime police on Wednesday registered an FIR after verifying the victim’s complaint application filed earlier this month. Police said the victim stays alone in a flat while his daughters stay nearby.
Senior cybercrime police inspector Swapnali Shinde told TOI, “The crooks called the victim and told him that they were officers of Mumbai police and a case was registered against the victim with the Colaba police station. They also made a videocall to the victim on a mobile messaging application wearing police uniforms.” “The suspects claimed that the victim’s bank account had been used in a money laundering case. They also claimed that his phone number also had been misused to carry out money laundering in various parts of the country,” she said.Shinde said, “The crooks told the victim that they would soon arrest him in the case. The same would bring a bad name to him and his family. They also forwarded a fake arrest warrant of a Mumbai court to him.” Later, the fraudsters asked the victim to cooperate with their investigation and took details of his three bank accounts on the pretext of helping him out evade prosecution. “The suspects promised not to arrest him in the case in exchange for payment of the amount allegedly laundered and other charges. They shared details of seven bank accounts with him, and the victim transferred Rs 1.28 crore,” Shinde said.“One of his daughters visited his home and found that he was behaving differently. She asked him what was wrong, and the elderly man told her about the case and the digital arrest,” Shinde said.The senior cybercrime police inspector said that they are investigating the case for further details and leads.
