KBC scam: Swindlers dupe TN resident of Rs 2.91 lakh to release 'prize money' worth crores

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case wherein a resident of Tamil Nadu was allegedly defrauded of Rs 2.91 lakh under the pretext of winning a prize amounting Rs 5.6 crore from the popular quiz show "Kaun Banega Crorepati", officials said on Friday.

The swindlers, unidentified so far, allegedly impersonated a CBI special agent and used the prime minister's images to deceive the victim, prompting the Prime Minister's Office to escalate the complaint to the CBI.

Murugesan, hailing from Erode in Tamil Nadu, allegedly received notifications on social media from two fraudulent entities claiming to be "KBC Mumbai" and "KBC Kolkata".

They falsely claimed that he had won substantial sums, initially informing him of a Rs 25 lakh prize which was later raised to Rs 5.6 crore by "KBC Mumbai".

Simultaneously, "KBC Kolkata" told him of a Rs 75 lakh win before inflating it to Rs 2.75 crore.

To facilitate the fraud, the perpetrators enticed Murugesan to remit Rs 2.91 lakh in installments via PhonePe and other payment platforms, characterising these payments as "multiple tax obligations" required to access his purported winnings.

The FIR alleged that the scammers employed a counterfeit identity card in Nandini Sharma's name, posing as a special officer from the CBI in Kolkata.

It said they also allegedly manipulated the prime minister's image on "official documents" to compel the victim to transfer money repeatedly in pursuit of his fictitious lottery prize.