Karkala: Woman duped of Rs 20 lakh by fraudsters posing as CBI officials

Karkala: A woman lost Rs 20 lakh after being intimidated by individuals impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials.

The victim, Preema Sheril D’Souza (38), received a call on January 7 from a man claiming to represent a telecom company. The caller alleged that her Aadhaar number had been used to purchase a SIM card in Uttar Pradesh, which was then linked to various illegal activities. He further threatened her, stating multiple cases had been registered against her.

To escalate the fear, the caller claimed a “cyber officer” would contact her. During a video call, a man dressed in a police uniform introduced himself as a CBI officer and demanded her cooperation in the investigation. He warned her not to disclose the matter to anyone, threatening harm to her husband and child if she did.

The fraudsters extracted her bank account details and coerced her into transferring funds. They demanded that she deposit money into specified accounts or face an “arrest warrant.” Panicked, Preema transferred Rs 14 lakh to a Federal Bank account and Rs 10 lakh to a Yes Bank account through RTGS from her fixed deposit accounts.

Realizing she had been duped, the victim later filed a complaint with the Karkala Rural Police Station.

Authorities have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident.