A 52-year-old resident of Kamothe in Navi Mumbai has fallen victim to a cyber fraud, losing Rs 6.1 lakh to a four-member gang posing as officials from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). The Kamothe police have registered an FIR against the unidentified accused after the victim filed a complaint.
How the fraud unfolded
On March 23, the fraudsters contacted the victim, claiming to be representatives of IRDAI. They informed him that his insurance policy had lapsed due to non-payment of premiums and offered to help recover his policy amount of Rs 13 lakh. To gain his trust, they sent a fake IRDAI document containing details of his insurance policy.
Under the pretext of government fees, the victim was instructed to transfer money to different bank accounts. Between March 23 and May 6, he gradually transferred a total of Rs 6.10 lakh.
Realisation and action
After two months of waiting for the reimbursement of the lapsed policy amount, the victim contacted the callers again. They demanded additional payments under various government fee pretexts. Suspecting foul play, the victim verified the IRDAI document and discovered it was fake. Realizing he had been cheated, he filed an online complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP). Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered at the Kamothe police station on Tuesday.
Police are investigating the case and searching for the accused.
