Ghaziabad: Cybercriminals have defrauded a retired Food Corporation of India (FCI) officer, Pritam Singh Chauhan, by falsely claiming involvement in a human trafficking case registered by the CBI. Using the threat of a digital arrest, the scammers extracted INR 60 lakh from the victim, transferring the amount across multiple bank accounts over the span of seven days.
Key Highlights:
- The scammers contacted the victim, pretending to be from the Delhi Cyber Crime Branch. They alleged that a case of child trafficking involving INR 68 crore had been registered, where the officer’s name appeared in an HDFC Bank account linked to the money laundering case.
- Pritam Singh Chauhan, retired from the FCI, received the call on October 10 via WhatsApp. The scammers claimed a branch manager had opened an account in his name connected to the trafficking of 17 children.
- The cybercriminals threatened the officer with arrest and demanded immediate payment. Over the course of seven days, they coerced him into transferring INR 60 lakh in the name of digital arrest.
- To add pressure, a fake notice from the High Court was sent on October 16, demanding an additional INR 50 lakh to prevent further legal action.
- The fraudsters had earlier sent a message that INR 68 lakh, which represents 10% of the laundered money, had already been transferred to his account, and he would need to face an inquiry to avoid immediate arrest.
Suspicion arose, prompting the officer to file a complaint at the local Cyber Crime Police Station. A case has been registered, and the police are investigating, collecting evidence related to the scam.
