A man was scammed out of Rs 1.7 crore by fraudsters posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). According to a complaint lodged at the CEN police station, the scam began on November 11 when the victim received a call at 9:49 am from an unknown number. The caller, pretending to be from TRAI, informed the complainant that a mobile number registered under his name was involved in illegal activities in Andheri (E), Mumbai. The caller threatened that an FIR had been filed against the complainant for harassment under the pretext of marketing and instructed him to contact the Andheri police station immediately, or risk having his mobile service deactivated.
Following this, the complainant was connected to an individual named Pradeep Sawant, who falsely accused him of being linked to a money laundering scheme tied to the Naresh Goyal fraud case. Sawant claimed that a fraudulent bank account had been opened in the complainant’s name at Canara Bank, Andheri, and was used to buy a SIM card for illegal activities. He further warned of potential arrest.
Subsequently, the victim was contacted through a WhatsApp video call by two individuals posing as Rahul Kumar (a police officer) and Akanksha (a CBI officer). They sent fake CBI documents and demanded money to “settle” the matter. Fearing legal consequences, the complainant transferred Rs 1.7 crore via RTGS in three installments between November 13 and 19. The police have registered a case and are currently investigating the matter.
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