THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Jan 14: Cybercriminals have defrauded a retired official of CMPDI (Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd), a resident of Bariatu in Ranchi, of Rs 2.27 crore through an elaborate digital extortion scheme that lasted 11 days. The fraud also included money from his wife’s account. The victim has filed a complaint with the CID’s cyber police station and the cybercrime helpline (1930). An FIR has been registered, and an investigation is underway.
How the Fraud Unfolded
According to the FIR, the victim received a call on December 10, 2024, from a person claiming to be “Abhiraj Shukla,” an officer of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller accused the victim of sending illegal advertisements and misleading messages to the public. This led to a series of threats and intimidation through video calls, during which the cybercriminals coerced the victim into transferring Rs 2.27 crore to various bank accounts.
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The gang included a woman who identified herself as “Poonam Gupta,” claiming to be an officer from the Delhi Crime Branch. Another individual, posing as senior IPS officer “Samadhan Pawar,” threatened the victim further, alleging that he was involved in a money laundering case. Over 11 days, the gang kept the victim under constant pressure through video calls, forcing him to remain in front of his mobile camera and transfer money multiple times under the pretence of helping catch the “real culprit.”
Details of the Extortion
The criminals manipulated the victim into believing his bank accounts needed to be monitored for the alleged money laundering investigation. Out of fear and coercion, the victim transferred the following amounts to various accounts:
- Dec 11: Rs 30 lakhs – Dheeraj Pandey (Bank of Maharashtra)
- Dec 11: Rs 20 lakhs – Kamlesh Chaudhary (Small Finance Bank)
- Dec 17: Rs 33 lakhs – Pradeep Jamulkar (Bank of Maharashtra)
- Dec 17: Rs 35 lakhs – Payal Srikanta (RBL Bank)
- Dec 17: Rs 30 lakhs – Parmar Mehul (Bank of Maharashtra)
- Dec 18: Rs 33 lakhs – Yogesh Srikrishna (Bank of Maharashtra)
- Dec 18: Rs 30 lakhs – Sumit Dey (Bank of Maharashtra)
- Dec 18: Rs 16.50 lakhs – Thangaraj K (UCO Bank)
The Aftermath
The victim, realizing he had been cheated, tried calling the fraudsters but found his calls were blocked. He has since reported the incident to the authorities, stating that the fraud wiped out his life savings.
The investigation into this high-stakes cybercrime is ongoing.
