The Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime Unit has arrested a 45-year-old man, Anup Kumar Kurikottal, for his involvement in a cyber fraud that targeted a 72-year-old senior citizen, defrauding him of a staggering Rs 3.98 crore. The accused, a resident of Kerala, was living temporarily in Masjid Bunder, Mumbai, when he was apprehended.
The case came to light when the elderly victim, residing in the CP Tank area, filed a complaint with the police. According to the victim’s account, he was contacted by a man who introduced himself as “Naresh,” claiming to be a police officer investigating a money laundering case. Naresh tricked the victim into believing that he was implicated in the case and needed to cooperate by transferring money to various bank accounts. The fraudster engaged the victim in long video calls, pretending to interrogate him and pressing him to make payments into multiple accounts.
Believing the ruse, the senior citizen transferred a total of Rs 3.98 crore over several transactions. It wasn’t until he attempted to verify the situation that he realized he had been duped and immediately reported the matter to the police.
The investigation led the cyber police to trace the bank accounts where the victim’s money had been sent. The trail revealed that Anup Kumar Kurikottal was behind the scam. Authorities discovered that Kurikottal had opened over 42 bank accounts, many using false identities, primarily from Kerala and Mumbai. Money received into these accounts was systematically transferred to a foreign account in Dubai, indicating the involvement of an international syndicate.
Based on intelligence gathered during the investigation, the police were able to track Anup’s whereabouts. He was arrested in Mumbai after he was caught visiting the Masjid Bunder area to meet with the landlord and pay his rent.
The authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the operation and to apprehend the main suspects involved in the international money laundering network.