South Mumbai retiree loses ₹7.21cr to phone scam impersonating officials
A 68-year-old woman from south Mumbai, a retired private company employee, lost a staggering ₹7.21 crore after falling victim to cybercriminals pretending to be government officials.
The scammers first contacted her in April, claiming her phone number was linked to serious crimes like money laundering and terror funding.
Fake cops and notices prompted transfers
The fraudsters kept up the pressure by introducing fake cops and sending official-looking notices over WhatsApp, supposedly from the RBI, Enforcement Directorate, and even a court.
Scared of legal trouble, she ended up breaking her fixed deposits, redeeming mutual funds, and transferring the money as instructed.
Only later did she realize it was all a scam and reported it to the cybercrime helpline; police are now investigating.