Overview
- Central Region Cyber Police in Mumbai registered an FIR after a 60-year-old businessman was kept on an overnight video call and coerced into transferring ₹53 lakh through a staged online hearing and forged notices.
- A 62-year-old retired LIC officer in Pune lost about ₹99 lakh after scammers sent a fake arrest warrant bearing a forged signature of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and directed transfers to supposed RBI accounts; police say the funds moved through Thane-based mule accounts.
- Maharashtra Cyber probing a ₹58 crore case says the syndicate routes stolen money through commission-based bank accounts and multiple cryptocurrency wallets with links traced to Hong Kong, China and Indonesia.
- Pimpri Chinchwad Police arrested six suspects across Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Mumbai, with their mule accounts flagged in at least 35 cases and transactions nearing ₹100 crore, including links to the ₹58 crore Mumbai case.
- Authorities warn that callers often impersonate TRAI, police, CBI or ED and urge victims to verify claims and report incidents via the national cybercrime helpline 1930 as probes continue across jurisdictions.