Retired Refinery Official Loses Rs 44 Lakh In Fake CBI Cyber Fraud

A retired official of Mathura Refinery has allegedly lost Rs 44 lakh after cyber fraudsters posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials and threatened him with a fake investigation. Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the incident.

Fake CBI Investigation Used To Threaten Retired Official

According to the first information report (FIR), the victim, Gopal Prasad, a resident of Chandralok Colony in Mathura, received a phone call on March 7 from a woman who claimed to be a CBI officer. She allegedly told him that a case had been registered against him in Bengaluru over suspicious transactions worth Rs 3 crore linked to a bank account in Mumbai.

The fraudsters later contacted him several times through WhatsApp. One of them allegedly introduced himself as a police inspector and threatened that Prasad and his family members could face legal action if he did not cooperate.

Believing the claims to be genuine, Prasad shared his bank account details and one-time passwords (OTPs). Rs 22 lakh, twice, was transferred from his bank accounts on March 10 and on March 13.

The fraudsters allegedly told him that the money had only been "seized" during the investigation and would be returned after the enquiry was completed. When the amount was not returned even after four months, Prasad realised he had been cheated and filed a complaint with the cyber police.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Shweta Yadav said an FIR was registered on June 28, and further investigation is in progress.

Bank Employee Loses Rs 7 Lakh

The police has also reported another cyber fraud case involving Rajbala, a bank employee from Dwarikapuri in Mathura.

According to police, Rajbala received a call on June 25 from a person claiming that the KYC for her pension account needed to be updated. The caller allegedly convinced her to share an OTP to complete the process. Soon after, Rs 7 lakh was withdrawn from her three bank accounts.

The police have said to PTI that efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved in both fraud cases.

What Individuals Should Do

Cyber fraud cases often involve fraudsters posing as officials from government agencies, banks or law enforcement authorities to create fear or urgency. Individuals should avoid sharing bank account details, OTPs, PINs or passwords with anyone over phone calls, messages or social media, even if the caller claims to represent an official organisation.

In case someone threatens to take legal action or demands payment for an investigation, individuals should first cut the call and verify independently via official channels.

Suspicious incidents should be reported immediately to the cybercrime helpline 1930, raise a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting portal, or the nearest police station.