An 83-year-old retired Navy officer residing in Satellite, Ahmedabad, fell prey to a digital trap. Cybercriminals virtually detained him for 48 hours, executing a scam worth 4.25 million rupees. Following this, a formal complaint was lodged with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch.
The Complaint Filed by Officer's Son
The FIR, filed by the officer's 53-year-old son with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch, states that the retired Navy officer resides with his wife. On the morning of December 8th, he received a call from someone posing as a telecom department official, stating that there were numerous complaints against his number, currently under investigation by the CBI in Mumbai.
Soon after, a seemingly random video call from someone claiming to be a CBI official connected, informing the officer that Naresh Goyal was arrested and that 2 million rupees had been transferred to the officer's account. The confused officer denied knowing anyone by that name.
Later, another video call presented a mock court scene, where a fake judge informed the officer that 27 cases were filed against him, currently under secret investigation by the CBI. The judge instructed him not to discuss this with family.
The officer was advised to submit a written application in English, including his bank details, to prove his innocence. The next day, he was told not to leave home or contact anyone until the investigation concluded, which would require him to transfer all funds via RTGS for checking.
Due to mobility issues, he disclosed the situation to his wife. She visited the bank to liquidate fixed deposits and transferred funds as instructed. Additional funds were requested on December 11th but the bank staff, suspecting fraud, intervened.
Timely Intervention by Bank Staff Prevents Major Fraud
During another visit by the officer's wife to the bank for further transfers, bank staff grew suspicious. Their inquiries revealed signs of cyber fraud. The bank halted the transaction process, explained the situation, and informed the family. Consequently, they reported the 4.25-million-rupee fraud to the Cyber Crime Branch. Post-complaint, the police have launched an investigation.
