Elderly man duped of Rs 10.39 Lakh in Siddapura

Siddapura: An elderly man from Siddapura village was cheated of Rs 10.39 lakh by fraudsters who pretended to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The victim Manju K. (75) filed a complaint with CEN police. In his complaint, Manju stated that the fraudsters threatened him stating that illegal activities were being carried out with his mobile number and mentioned 17 cases against him.

On December 9 morning, Manju received a call warning that his mobile number would be deactivated in 30 minutes. The caller claimed that another number linked to him, obtained from Airtel in Mumbai’s Tilak Nagar, was under investigation with 17 cases filed by the Crime Branch. The caller instructed him to surrender immediately, calling it a non-bailable offense.

When Manju expressed his inability to comply, the fraudsters transferred the call to another number, stating it was Tilak Nagar Police Station. They then contacted Manju via WhatsApp video call, accusing him of money laundering and threatening house arrest. The scammers coerced him into transferring money to the RBI through Google Pay, warning him not to inform anyone. Believing them, Manju transferred Rs 10.39 lakh in phases between December 9 and 17.

Realizing the fraud, Manju filed a complaint, and the police are investigating the case.