A 63-year-old businessman from Mazgaon allegedly lost Rs 39.64 lakh in a sophisticated cyber fraud after scammers posed as insurance officials and grievance redressal authorities. The accused allegedly used genuine policy details, forged government documents and fake approval procedures to convince the victim that an insurance bonus linked to his policies had been wrongly diverted and could be recovered through an official process.
Fake network
The fraud allegedly began on March 13 when the businessman received a call from a woman claiming to be from his insurance company’s Gurgaon branch. She allegedly told him that the bonus amount linked to two of his policies was being diverted to another person and could be recovered through a formal grievance process. Police said the callers appeared convincing because they already knew the victim’s actual policy numbers and insurer details.
Over the next few days, at least four different people allegedly played separate roles in the scam, posing as insurance representatives, grievance officers and senior officials overseeing the “claim approval” process. To make the operation appear legitimate, the accused allegedly sent forged documents over WhatsApp carrying government of India logos and references to pension- and investment-related departments.
Money trail
Police said the victim was repeatedly told that several payments were mandatory before the bonus could be released. The accused allegedly cited identity verification charges, account activation fees, pension approvals and government clearances as reasons for the payments.
Between March 14 and March 27, the businessman allegedly transferred money 10 times into multiple bank accounts linked to different beneficiaries. Officials said the largest single transaction exceeded R15 lakh. Throughout the process, the victim allegedly received payment confirmations and receipts over WhatsApp, assuring him that the approvals were progressing.
Fraud exposed
The fraud allegedly came to light after the promised payout never arrived, and all the accused became unreachable. A case has been registered by the cyber police under sections related to cheating, impersonation and forgery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act. An investigation is underway to trace the accused and beneficiary accounts.
Cyber fraud helpline
Victims of cyber fraud can report incidents by calling the national cybercrime helpline number 1930 or by filing a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Police said early reporting increases the chances of freezing bank accounts and tracing transactions.
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