Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
A retired bank employee and his wife from Chandigarh’s Sector 47 lost more than ₹2.15 crore in an elaborate cyber fraud after being kept under mental pressure by scammers for nearly 15 days.
The fraudsters allegedly posed as CBI officials and threatened the couple with arrest and legal action, claiming their bank account had been linked to drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
According to Cyber Crime Police, the elderly man received a phone call from a person claiming to be a CBI officer from Mumbai. The caller alleged that the victim’s bank account had been used in serious criminal activities and warned that strict legal action, including arrest, could follow.
The fraudsters instructed the couple not to share any details of the investigation with relatives, friends, or neighbors. They repeatedly threatened immediate legal consequences if they disclosed the matter to anyone, leaving the couple terrified and isolated.
Under the pretext of helping them avoid legal trouble, the scammers convinced the victims to transfer large sums of money through RTGS and other banking channels. After exhausting their savings, the couple even borrowed money from relatives and deposited it into accounts provided by the fraudsters.
When the funds ran out, the accused allegedly persuaded the couple to sell their gold ornaments and transfer the proceeds as well. Within just 15 days, the victims had transferred more than ₹2.15 crore to the scammers.
The fraud came to light when the cyber criminals reportedly pressured the couple to mortgage their house documents and take a bank loan to send more money. Having already lost their savings and gold, the couple refused. Soon after, the fraudsters cut off all communication.
Realizing they had been cheated, the couple informed their family members and filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the bank accounts, mobile numbers, and digital transaction trails used in the scam.
