Digital Fraud Alert: Rising scams target NRIs and Mumbai residents  

• Authorities urge citizens to remain vigilant, verify the identity of callers claiming to be officials, and report suspicious activities promptly

• Increasing public awareness about these scams and enhancing digital security measures are critical to curbing such crimes

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

In a disturbing trend of sophisticated cyber frauds, two incidents have highlighted the vulnerability of individuals to digital scams, reported news9live.com.

 Fraudsters, leveraging fear and impersonation, have managed to dupe victims of significant sums of money in separate cases involving NRI sisters and a young woman in Mumbai.

NRI Sisters Duped of ₹1.9 Crore

In Lucknow, two NRI sisters, Suman Kakkar and Vinay Thapliyal, became victims of a ₹1.9 crore scam. The accused, posing as Mumbai Crime Branch officials, threatened the sisters—both Canadian citizens—with life imprisonment under a fabricated money laundering case.

According to police reports, the fraudsters convinced the sisters to break their fixed deposits and transfer the amount to accounts spread across four states. The criminals employed digital impersonation techniques and psychological coercion, holding the victims “digitally hostage” for two days. While authorities have identified the suspects, the complexity of fund transfers across multiple accounts has made recovery challenging.

A Growing Concern

• These cases underscore a growing pattern of cybercriminals exploiting fear, social engineering, and impersonation

• Scammers often pose as law enforcement officers to intimidate their targets into compliance

• Victims are coerced into transferring money, sharing sensitive information, or performing acts against their will

Mumbai Woman Duped in Elaborate Scam

In a similar vein, a 26-year-old woman from Mumbai fell prey to fraudsters posing as Delhi Police officers. The scammers falsely implicated her in a money laundering case allegedly linked to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal.

Using fear tactics, they manipulated the pharmaceutical professional into transferring ₹1.78 lakh for “verification.” The deception didn’t stop there—they coerced her into meeting them at a hotel room under the pretense of further investigation. Adding to her trauma, the woman was compelled to undress during a video call, a chilling escalation of harassment. The victim reported the incident to the police on November 28.

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