THANE: A 63-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai was reportedly swindled of Rs 80 lakh by individuals pretending to be representatives of a global courier company and government entities, offering to shield her from involvement in a smuggling case, as per the police.
The victim, a retired employee of a power company living in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, was contacted on March 29 by a caller claiming to be from an international courier service, revealed a cyber police station official.
The caller alleged that a package in her name containing illicit items had been seized, and a complaint had been lodged against her with the cyber crime police.
Subsequently, the victim received counterfeit correspondence purportedly from the Reserve Bank of India, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Finance Ministry via a Skype account, threatening her with arrest.
She was coerced into transferring the substantial sum of Rs 80 lakh to various bank accounts under the guise of assistance to evade legal consequences and for property verification, leading to her realization of being deceived.
Following her complaint, an FIR was registered against unknown individuals under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, with an ongoing investigation into the matter.
