Mumbai, Jan 08: Cyber fraudsters cheated a 63-year-old man from Dadar of Rs 5 lakh by falsely claiming that his bank account was being used for alleged terrorist Abu Salem and threatening him with a digital
arrest. The Dadar police have registered a case against unidentified persons and launched an investigation.
Caller poses as data protection official
According to the FIR, the victim, Dhananjay Gnyandev Pawar, 63, resides with his wife and son at Sayani Road, Dadar. On January 3, at around 11 a.m., Pawar received a call from an unknown number.
The caller introduced himself as R.K. Chaudhary from the Data Protection Board of India and claimed that a SIM card had been illegally obtained using Pawar’s Aadhaar card and was being misused.
He further alleged that a case had been registered at Renuka Nagar police station in Nashik’s Panchavati area.
Fake NIA officials threaten account freeze
The caller told Pawar that to obtain a clearance certificate, he would need to speak with senior officials, after which the call was transferred. Pawar was instructed to return home and was later contacted through a WhatsApp video call.
The second caller claimed to be Sandeep Roy from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and alleged that multiple bank accounts had been opened in Pawar’s name using the fraudulent SIM card.
The fraudsters further claimed that the accounts were being used for love jihad activities and warned that all of Pawar’s bank accounts would be frozen by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Panicked by the threats, Pawar initially disconnected the call.
Threat of ‘digital arrest’ used to extort money
On January 5, Pawar again received a WhatsApp video call from the same number. This time, a man wearing a uniform claimed to be an NIA officer and alleged that Pawar’s bank account was being used for alleged terrorist Abu Salem.
He threatened Pawar with a digital arrest, warned him not to inform anyone, and said all his bank accounts would be frozen unless he cooperated.
The fraudsters demanded that Pawar transfer all the money from his account temporarily for verification, failing which he would be arrested. Terrified, Pawar was instructed to keep his phone on and send screenshots after transferring the money.
Money transferred, refund never received
Pawar subsequently visited a Bank of Maharashtra branch and transferred Rs 5 lakh via RTGS to the account provided by the fraudsters, informing them after the transaction.
He was assured that the amount would be refunded the next day after the verification process was completed and was threatened with arrest at his residence if he disclosed the incident to anyone.
The victim, deeply frightened, did not receive any refund the following day. When Pawar contacted the same number again, the callers demanded additional money, raising his suspicion.
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Complaint lodged, probe underway
He then informed his son about the incident, following which his son immediately lodged a complaint on the cybercrime portal. Subsequently, Pawar approached the Dadar police station and filed a complaint against two unidentified mobile number holders.
Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Further investigation is underway.
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