Mumbai News: Retired Teacher Duped Of ₹1.72 Crore In Sophisticated Cyber Fraud

Mumbai: A 61-year-old retired school teacher from Mahim, Mumbai, fell victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud that cost her over Rs 1.72 crore. The victim, Shobha Dhumappa Shetty, who lives on her pension, was conned into transferring the amount over the course of a month by individuals posing as officials from courier services, law enforcement, and financial investigation agencies.

According to the FIR, the fraud began on January 22, 2025, when Shetty received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number (9814513890). The caller, claiming to be from DHL Customer Service, alleged that a suspicious parcel in her name containing a passport, credit cards, fabric, and MDMA drugs had been intercepted. When Shetty denied any involvement, she was informed that her name and mobile number were being used illegally, and she was advised to file a police complaint.

Shortly after, she was contacted by a person claiming to be "Nikhil Raj," who provided another number (9573385296) and introduced her to "Vijay Santosh," allegedly a Senior Investigation Officer with the Crime Branch. He falsely claimed that Shetty's name had surfaced in a case linked to businessman Naresh Goyal and that she could be arrested imminently.

To avoid arrest, she was instructed to submit an "application" stating that she had no black money and was ready for a priority investigation. Over the following days, she was contacted multiple times via WhatsApp calls, audio messages, and videos by others posing as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, including a person identifying himself as "George Mathew." They collected her personal, financial, and property details under the pretext of clearing her name in a covert national investigation.

Shetty was manipulated into believing that she needed to transfer funds to prove her innocence. Between January 30 and February 27, 2025, she transferred a total of Rs 1.72 crore to various bank accounts through RTGS. Fake documents, including one bearing the name of "Niraj Kumar, Assistant Director, ED Mumbai," were sent to her via WhatsApp to convince her of the authenticity.

When the fraudsters later demanded an additional Rs 70 lakh as a security deposit, Shetty informed them that she had no further funds. On March 6, she searched online and came across a YouTube video describing a similar scam. When she shared the video with the accused on WhatsApp, the number was immediately disconnected — confirming her worst fears.

Shetty promptly lodged a complaint with the cybercrime helpline (1930) and later approached the Central Region Cyber Police Station with evidence, including WhatsApp chats, fake documents, and bank transaction details. An FIR has been registered against the unknown caller posing as DHL staff, along with individuals using numbers 9814513890 and 9573385296, and the holders of the accounts where the defrauded money was transferred.