In a sophisticated fraud that has shaken the financial world, three fraudsters are accused of scamming a real estate agent from Kasarwadavli in Thane district and using his identity to carry out illegal bank transactions worth over Rs383 crore. The victim was unaware of the fraud until he received a bank notice, prompting him to file a complaint, officials reported on Monday.
The 38-year-old real estate agent was approached by the fraudsters in May 2022, who offered him a job. They gained access to his identification documents, including his PAN and Aadhar numbers, under the pretext of verifying his identity for the job. These details were later used to open two fraudulent bank accounts in his name and create fictitious shell companies linked to the victim’s mobile number and email address.
From May 2022 to May 2023, the accused executed illegal transactions worth over Rs383 crore using the victim’s identity. The bank grew suspicious of the activities and sent notices to the real estate agent, who had no knowledge or control over the accounts involved in the fraud. Upon receiving the notice, the victim filed a complaint with the Kasarwadavli Police, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) on Saturday.
The police have identified the three accused as Deepak Shukla, Rahul Patwa, and Chetan Khade, who are believed to have orchestrated the fraudulent activities. While the investigation continues, no arrests have been made so far.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Thane has taken over the investigation due to the large scale of the fraud. Authorities are working to trace the whereabouts of the suspects and uncover the full extent of their activities. The fraudsters are believed to have used the victim’s identity to open multiple fraudulent accounts and conduct transactions across various financial institutions.
In a related incident, a deputy manager from a private bank in Gurugram was arrested on September 17 for allegedly assisting cybercriminals in opening a fraudulent bank account. This account was later used to scam a Gurugram resident of Rs25.5 lakh. Furthermore, a 59-year-old man from Bengaluru was duped into transferring Rs59 lakh to fraudsters who posed as CBI officers, accusing him of money laundering.
The series of high-value frauds has raised concerns about the growing sophistication of cybercrimes and the need for stricter safeguards in financial transactions. The police are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to their personal or financial information.