64-Year-Old Woman Scammed of ₹8.80 Lakh by Fraudsters Posing as CBI Officers*

In a distressing case of fraud, a 64-year-old woman was deceived out of ₹8.80 lakh by con artists impersonating CBI officers, including an IPS officer named Vinay Kumar Chaubey, who is currently the commissioner of police in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The victim, who works for a shipping company in Saki-Naka and resides in Khar, received a call on August 17 from someone claiming to be Chaubey. The caller informed her that a writ petition had been filed against her in the Bengaluru High Court, alleging that her personal documents were used to open a bank account. He further claimed that ₹20 lakh had been transferred to this account from Naresh Goyal, who had recently been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. The caller threatened her with arrest if she did not comply.

Feeling frightened, the woman responded that she recognized who Goyal was. The impersonated officer then advised her to approach the Supreme Court to clear her name. He instructed her to download the Skype app for communication and warned her not to discuss the investigation with anyone. During the call, he also inquired about the number of bank accounts she held.

On August 21, the fraudster told her that she would receive a clean chit, but only if she transferred all her money into a specific account provided by him. Believing the scammer’s assurances, she made five separate transactions, transferring her entire savings of ₹8.80 lakh to various accounts specified by the fraudsters.

After realizing she had been conned and not receiving the promised funds, the woman approached the Khar police station. Based on her complaint, authorities registered a case under multiple sections, including cheating and identity theft as outlined in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act.

Police are now investigating the case and urge the public to remain vigilant against such scams.