Cyber fraudsters pose as Mumbai police, dupe Bengaluru man of ₹1.2 crore

Bengaluru

A 70-year-old Bengaluru resident was defrauded of ₹1,20,48,905 in a high-profile cybercrime case after fraudsters posing as Mumbai police officials manipulated him through WhatsApp calls and messages. FIR is registered at North CEN police station. 

According to the complaint registered at the police station, the victim held multiple bank accounts with Kotak Mahindra Bank (Account No: xxxxxxx98899), ICICI Bank (xxxxxxx1605), Axis Bank (xxxxxxx53776), RBL Bank (xxxxxxx8899), and IDFC Bank (xxxxxxx2237).

On May 29, 2025, he received WhatsApp calls and messages from unknown numbers—9831023641, 8167784122, and 7478315558. The callers falsely introduced themselves as officials from the Mumbai Police and informed him that a money laundering case had been registered in his name. They further claimed that an arrest warrant had been issued against him

Using this fear tactic, the fraudsters demanded a “security deposit” in the name of RBI verification and forced the senior citizen to transfer large sums under the pretext of financial background verification. The money was reportedly collected in phases—₹40,00,000, ₹30,00,000, and ₹50,00,000—adding up to a total of ₹1,20,48,905.

The complainant was told that the funds would be returned to his bank account after successful verification. However, once the transfers were completed, the callers became unreachable.

Realising that he had been scammed, the elderly man approached the police and filed an FIR detailing the sequence of events, contact numbers, bank details, and the amount lost.

Police have registered a case and launched a probe to trace the individuals behind the scam. Officials suspect the involvement of a well-organised cybercrime syndicate. Efforts are underway to identify the account holders and recover the defrauded amount.

Authorities have reiterated warnings to the public, urging them not to respond to unsolicited calls claiming to be from law enforcement or financial institutions.

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