Hyderabad retiree scammed of Rs. 10.5 lakhs after pressing 9 on fraudulent call
Hyderabad: A 70-year-old retired man from Hyderabad has fallen victim to a scam and lost Rs. 10,50,000 (ten lakh fifty thousand rupees).
According to the cybercrime police, the elderly victim received a phone call from a fraudster impersonating a Telecom Department official. The scammer falsely accused the victim of being involved in illegal activities and instructed him to press ‘9’ to connect to a video call.
During the call, the fraudster falsely claimed that the victim was implicated in money laundering and needed to verify currency notes supposedly seized in Mumbai. The victim was instructed to transfer money from his account to verify the numbers on these notes, with a promise of a refund within 24 hours if the numbers did not match.
Following the scammer’s instructions, the victim transferred a huge amount of money into the fraudster’s account. Despite the initial transfer, the fraudster insisted that further verification was required and requested additional funds.
The victim eventually transferred a total of Rs. 10,50,000 before realising he had been defrauded. The victim immediately filed a complaint seeking assistance.
Public Advisory:
• If you receive a suspicious call, end the call immediately without engaging further and report the incident to the nearest police station.
• Be cautious of scam calls purportedly from FedEx, BSNL, or TRAI.
• Scammers often use psychological tactics to manipulate emotions and decision-making. Law enforcement officials do not contact individuals via Skype or request money transfers to resolve issues. Do not comply with such requests.
• Never deposit money into unknown bank accounts based on false promises from strangers.
• Never respond to emails, embedded links in messages, or calls requesting updates or verification of KYC documents, user ID, password, debit card number, PIN, CVV, or OTP. If you accidentally disclose your credentials, immediately change your passwords, CVV, and PIN.
• If you fall victim to a cybercrime, immediately call 1930 or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in
• For cyber fraud emergencies, contact or WhatsApp at 8712665171.
