A retired MEO from Kottapeta was tricked into transferring Rs 35 lakh by scammers posing as ACB officials.
Scammers demanded Rs 1 lakh initially, then escalated their demands after making the victim fear for his family’s safety.
Authorities advise reporting suspicious calls to the cyber cell and never sharing sensitive information online.
Amidst the growing number of cyber scams in India, another shocking case from Kottapeta, Vijayawada, is gaining traction on social media. A retired government official was duped out of Rs 35 lakh after receiving a call from scammers impersonating the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The scammers then instilled fear in the victim and manipulated him to extract a large sum from his bank account.
SurveyBased on reports, the victim, a retired Mandal Educational Officer (MEO), was first contacted by the fraudsters, who claimed a legal action had been brought against his wife and two sons. The scammers denied providing any precise facts, but they manufactured a terror situation by video calling him and convincing him that this is a massive series.
To settle the problem, the scammers demanded a hefty Rs 1 lakh to avoid legal action. After hearing the sum, the victim ended the call for financial concerns. However, the scammers called him again and contrived a threat-like situation. Fearing for his family’s safety and legal difficulties, the victim transferred Rs 50,000 to the scammer’s bank account.
Based on reports, the victim, a retired Mandal Educational Officer (MEO), was first contacted by the fraudsters, who claimed a legal action had been brought against his wife and two sons. The scammers denied providing any precise facts, but they manufactured a terror situation by video calling him and convincing him that this is a massive series.
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To settle the problem, the scammers demanded a hefty Rs 1 lakh to avoid legal action. After hearing the sum, the victim ended the call for financial concerns. However, the scammers called him again and contrived a threat-like situation. Fearing for his family’s safety and legal difficulties, the victim transferred Rs 50,000 to the scammer’s bank account.
The scam unfolded when the victim’s son got suspicious about the urgent need of money asked by his father. After learning about the scam, the son filed a complaint with the authorities, and a case has been opened under the relevant cybercrime laws. An investigation is currently underway to find the perpetrators.
To stay safe from these types of scams, the authorities ask that everyone report any suspicious calls to the cyber cell. They also state that no official agency will demand money over the phone, and anything requested is a scam. Individuals should never share sensitive information such as OTPs, PINs, bank details, and so on over the phone or online.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
