In a distressing case of online fraud, 81-year-old Nandu Khamar from Odhav, Ahmedabad, fell victim to a scam that cost him Rs19.10 lakh through a video call. The cybercrime unit has since registered a complaint and is investigating the incident.
Khamar, who maintains two bank accounts, received a WhatsApp video call from someone claiming to be Constable Surendra Agarwal. The caller alleged that Khamar’s bank accounts were opened using his Aadhaar card number, with a staggering Rs2 crore deposited. He further claimed that a man named Ravishankar had implicated Khamar in a fraudulent scheme.
During the call, another individual, introducing himself as Senior Sub-Inspector Vikrant Shukla, informed Khamar that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Exploiting Khamar’s fear, Shukla advised him to consult with a Prosecutor named Niraj Kumar to resolve the matter.
Following this, Prosecutor Niraj Kumar, also part of the scam, contacted Khamar and instructed him to keep the video call active while transferring money to a specified bank account to avoid arrest. Trusting the fraudulent callers, Khamar transferred Rs19.10 lakh, with the fake prosecutor assuring him that the funds would be returned after a thorough investigation within 24 hours.
Upon realizing he had been scammed, Khamar promptly reported the incident to the cybercrime unit, initiating further investigation into the fraudulent operation.