An 80-year-old woman from Mumbai's Dadar area was recently swindled out of ₹1.08 crore by cyber fraudsters impersonating government officials. The elaborate scheme involved the fraudsters posing as representatives from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and even Maharashtra's Director General of Police (DGP), Rashmi Shukla.

The victim, a former secretary at the pharmaceutical company Glaxo, was living on her pension and life savings when she was targeted. The scam began on October 27 when she received a call from an individual posing as Vijay Khanna from TRAI. The caller informed her that her SIM card would be blocked and that her Aadhaar number had been implicated in cyber fraud.

Shortly after, the victim received another call from someone claiming to be an officer from the Colaba police station. This individual informed her that she was booked in a money laundering case alongside Naresh Goyal. The call was then transferred to a woman impersonating DGP Rashmi Shukla, who instructed her to cooperate with the investigation.

Under the guise of "verification," the fraudsters instructed the woman to transfer funds from her bank accounts to designated accounts. They assured her that the money would be refunded within 48 hours after she received a No Objection Certificate, clearing her name from the alleged money laundering accusations.

Fueled by fear of legal repercussions and the convincing nature of the scamsters, the victim transferred ₹1.08 crore between October 31 and November 7. The funds were sent across multiple accounts provided by the fraudsters. After 48 hours passed without the promised refund, she attempted to contact the individuals but received no response, leading her to realize she had been scammed.

The victim then checked her accounts and discussed the situation with her family and bank officials, who confirmed her suspicions of a cyber fraud. Subsequently, she reported the incident to the Central Region Cyber Police Station, who have registered a case against two unidentified individuals and the account holders who received the funds.

Police officials noted that these types of scams often involve repeated calls and pressure tactics, exploiting the victim's fear of legal or regulatory consequences. The fraudsters placed the victim under 'digital arrest' to further coerce her. The investigation is currently underway. This incident serves as another stark reminder of the increasing cyber fraud cases targeting senior citizens in Mumbai.