Yes, there is a recent report about a retired teacher in Mumbai who was defrauded of ₹1.72 crore by individuals posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the crime branch.
The 61-year-old victim, a retired school teacher from Mahim, received a call from someone claiming to be a crime branch officer. The caller accused her of involvement in a money laundering case and threatened her with arrest. The fraudsters then transferred the call to another person posing as an ED officer, who instructed her to transfer funds to a “safe account” for verification. Fearing legal consequences, the victim complied and transferred ₹1.72 crore over multiple transactions. The fraud came to light when she informed her family, who then approached the police.
This incident is part of a growing trend of cyber frauds targeting elderly individuals by impersonating law enforcement officials. In a similar case, a 67-year-old retired teacher from Bandra lost ₹5.47 crore to scammers who posed as police officers and manipulated her through a “digital arrest” scam.
Authorities advise the public to be cautious of unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be officials and to verify such claims through official channels before taking any action.
Sources