In a troubling incident, a Chartered Accountant ( CA ) residing in Vile-Parle East, Mumbai, fell victim to a sophisticated cyber scam, losing a hefty sum of ₹34.70 lakh. The fraudsters, pretending to be connected to the well-known money laundering case involving Jet Airways’ founder Naresh Goyal, tricked the CA into believing that her bank account and phone number were linked to illegal activities.
The scam began when the CA received a call from someone claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI ). This person knew personal details about the CA, like her name, address, and Aadhar card information. They spun a story about her phone numbers being misused for making bothersome calls, and even said a case had been filed against her at the Chunabhatti police station. This made the CA anxious and scared of getting arrested.
To add legitimacy to their lies, the fraudsters set up a fake video call on Skype, posing as officers from Mumbai Police. They used a fake logo and introduced themselves as police officials from Chunabhatti police station. They claimed that SIM cards registered in the CA’s name were used for sending inappropriate messages.
The scammers went even further by creating a fake Supreme Court website. They showed the CA fake legal documents, making her believe that the Enforcement Directorate ( ED ) had issued a warrant for her arrest due to the alleged money laundering activities related to Naresh Goyal’s case.
Under immense pressure and fearing legal consequences, the CA complied with the scammers’ demands. She broke her fixed deposits worth ₹20.70 lakh and transferred another ₹14 lakh from her bank accounts to the accounts specified in the fake Supreme Court order.
However, as the situation unfolded, the CA grew suspicious and decided to investigate. She discovered the elaborate scam and immediately reported it to the Cyber Police station.
The Cyber Police launched an investigation and registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code ( IPC ) and the Information Technology Act. They are now tracing the digital footprints and bank accounts used by the fraudsters.
The event signals the need for digital literacy and awareness to protect oneself from falling victim to such fraudulent schemes.
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