Elderly couple duped of Rs 10.61 crore in cyber scam in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: An elderly couple from Hyderabad was conned out of Rs 10.61 crore by cybercriminals who used threats of "digital arrest" and various scare tactics to deceive them. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) is currently investigating the case after the couple filed a formal complaint.

The victim, a 73-year-old man, had been hospitalised in June for dehydration, gastric issues, and severe diabetes, requiring regular insulin. On the morning of July 8, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be an official from the State Bank of India (SBI). The caller falsely informed him that a bank account had been opened using his Aadhaar card details in West Mumbai's Bandra area on May 9 and that attempts were being made to withdraw money from it.

When the elderly man denied having any bank account in Mumbai, the caller suggested that he file a complaint with the Mumbai police and provided a phone number. Upon calling this number, he was informed by another individual that his Aadhaar details had been misused by a criminal named Suresh Agarwal to open a bank account involved in money laundering. The fraudster even sent letters through WhatsApp, purportedly from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) Department, to make the claims appear credible.

The criminals told the elderly man that he needed to prove his innocence and show that his assets, as well as those in his wife’s name, were not linked to any unlawful activities under the Hindu Marriage Act. They further assured him that if the investigation found his funds to be unrelated to any crime, the money would be returned within three days. The couple, fearful of legal repercussions and imprisonment, complied, promising not to share details with anyone.

Adding pressure, the fraudsters claimed that violating any rules would result in a prison sentence of 3-7 years. They also mentioned that an IPS officer named Navjot Simmi was supervising the case. A woman, introducing herself as Simmi, began calling the couple every two hours, further deepening their fears. She insisted that they follow the instructions given by an individual named Ravi, who posed as a sub-inspector.

The cybercriminals conducted several "investigations" through video calls, dressed as police officers, which further intimidated the couple. Under pressure, the elderly couple transferred Rs 10.61 crore in eleven instalments between July 8 and July 26, directly to the accounts specified by the criminals. After the funds were transferred, the fraudsters ceased all communication. When no response came despite the promised three-day timeline for refunding their money, the couple realised they had been scammed and lodged a complaint with the TGCSB.

The police registered a case against the accused, including those identified as Simmi and Ravi, and began collecting details of the bank accounts to which the couple's funds had been transferred. These accounts were traced to locations in Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Bengaluru, Gurugram in Haryana, and various places in Bihar and Manipur. Investigations revealed that all these accounts were "mule accounts"—bank accounts provided to criminals for commission purposes.

The funds were initially moved to these mule accounts before being swiftly transferred in multiple stages to other accounts. The police are currently continuing their investigation to trace the funds and identify those responsible for the scam.