Senior citizen loses Rs 4.7 crore to cyber fraudsters; 13-member gang busted in Chennai
A 72-year-old retired engineer from RA Puram received a phone call in which scamsters claimed that many bank accounts have been opened using her phone number and Aadhaar number
Recovered Rs 50 lakh cash from the cyber fraudsters
CHENNAI: Probing a complaint from a senior citizen who lost over Rs 4.7 crore to cyber fraudsters, the city police’s cybercrime team division arrested a 13-member gang operating from Chennai and recovered Rs 50 lakh cash from them.
A 72-year-old retired engineer from RA Puram received a phone call in which scamsters claimed that many bank accounts have been opened using her phone number and Aadhaar number, and that hawala transactions have taken place, for which cases have been registered against her in Mumbai and Delhi.
The caller then connected her to another person who claimed to be Mumbai police and said that a parcel containing illegal drugs, fake passport, 257 ATM cards, and tiger skin was seized by the Customs department, and that several bank accounts have been opened in her name using her Aadhaar number. She was asked to come to the Mumbai Cyber Crime Police Station within two hours for inquiry or she will be arrested.
“When she pleaded with the fraudsters, they convinced her that if she co-operates with the investigation through a video call, they would consider releasing her and asked to isolate herself in a separate room for the call,” said a police officer.
The fraudsters then convinced her to verify her bank accounts for illegal transactions, and asked her to transfer all her savings to an account and told her that the money will be credited back in 30 minutes after verification. As the time passed, the woman realised she was cheated after which she filed a police complaint.
Tracing the money, police zeroed in on a gang in Villivakkam and Triplicane who orchestrated the fraud. The money was sent abroad through hawala transactions and then sent to India as cryptocurrency through a finance trading app, police sources said.
So far, police have arrested 13 persons in the case and seized Rs 53 lakh in cash, ATM cards and passbooks. The suspects were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.