Pune: A 72-year-old man from Sahakarnagar was allegedly duped of Rs 27 lakh by cybercriminals posing as officials from the “Data Protection Board of India” and Nashik cyber police.It took place between Aug 13 and 20. The elderly man approached Pune cyber police on Aug 25 and lodged a complaint. A case was registered with the Parvati police on Thursday.The complainant owned an engineering company, which shut down about 10 years ago. He has since been in retirement. On Aug 13, he received a call from an unknown cellphone number. “The caller claimed to be a senior executive of the ‘Data Protection Board of India’. He told him a mobile number linked to his Aadhaar card had been used to make obscene video calls to minor girls and 22 complaints had been registered against him with the Nashik cyber cell,” an officer from Parvati police said.“The caller transferred the call to another person, who posed as a Nashik cyber cell inspector. During a video call, the accused, dressed as a police officer, told the complainant that a bank account had been opened in his name and transactions worth nearly Rs 1 crore had taken place through it, with money being sent to a terrorist organisation. The ‘police officer’ told him all his bank accounts and fixed deposits would be verified and his gold would be seized. They also sent him what appeared to be Reserve Bank of India documents, photographs of a terrorist organisation and an arrest warrant. They threatened the complainant and his wife with a fine of Rs 5 lakh each and three years in jail if they disclosed the matter to anyone,” the officer said.He further said the couple, being senior citizens, could be spared if they deposited their gold with a finance company and transferred the proceeds for verification. “The complainant pledged around 30 tolas of gold and got Rs 27.51 lakh against it. On Aug 18, he transferred Rs 27 lakh through RTGS to an account provided to him by the crooks,” the officer added.The crooks sent him a purported receipt showing the money had been deposited with the Enforcement Directorate and assured him he would receive an “NOC” within two to three days and get his money back.When the complainant did not receive the money, he called the ‘police officer’. Upon not getting a response, he contacted Nashik cyber cell and learnt that no police officer with that name was posted there. He realised he had been cheated and lodged a complaint.
