Woman Threatened with Arrest in Money Laundering Case, Files Complaint
Key Points:
- Cybercriminals posed as officials, claimed money laundering charges.
- Victim duped of ₹23,000 for false promise of bail from Supreme Court.
- Case registered at Cyber Police Station, Bistupur, Jamshedpur.
JAMSHEDPUR – A Jamshedpur woman fell victim to a cyber scam and lost ₹23,000 after being threatened with arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The incident, reported at the Cyber Police Station in Bistupur, involved fraudsters posing as officials from the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
How the Scam Unfolded
Jasbir Kaur, a resident of Sitaramdera, received a call on Tuesday morning purportedly from the SBI Customer Care Headquarters in Mumbai. The caller claimed that a credit card in her name had been issued in Tamil Nadu and misused for ₹1 lakh. The fraudster, identifying himself as Dinesh Chakravarthy, connected her to another individual named Vinay Kumar, who advised her to obtain a clearance letter from the Hyderabad Cyber Police.
Subsequently, Kaur received a video call from a man dressed as a police officer. He accused her of involvement in a ₹536 crore money laundering case linked to Naresh Goyal. The fake official threatened her with immediate arrest and warned that local police were en route to her residence. He demanded that she travel to Hyderabad within two hours, which she was unable to do.
Extortion for Fake Bail
Under duress, Kaur was informed that she could secure temporary bail from the Supreme Court by paying ₹45,000. Panicking, she arranged ₹23,000 from her siblings and transferred the amount via UPI. Only after consulting her lawyer did she realize she had been defrauded.
Complaint Filed
Kaur has filed a written complaint at the Cyber Police Station in Bistupur, and an investigation has been launched. Cyber officials have urged residents to remain vigilant against such scams and avoid sharing personal or financial information over the phone.
