Cyber-criminals Use Shocking New Tactic: Senior Woman Defrauded of ₹22 Lakh on False Espionage Charges

Fraudsters claimed she was spying for Pakistan; duped her in the name of anti-terror probe

Mumbai – In a disturbing case of cyber fraud, a 64-year-old woman from Girgaon was cheated of ₹22.4 lakh after fraudsters accused her of spying for Pakistan. The criminals posed as officials from Delhi’s Anti-Terror Squad and tricked her under the pretext of a high-level investigation.

The victim received a call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as Prem Kumar Gupta, an alleged officer from the Anti-Terrorist Squad, posted at a Jammu & Kashmir border police station. He claimed that a complaint had been filed against her, accusing her of leaking sensitive information to Pakistan. He warned that espionage charges could lead to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to ₹50 lakh.

Terrified by the threat of legal action, the woman transferred ₹22.4 lakh to the fraudsters’ account. After the money was sent, the callers disappeared—only then did she realize she had been scammed, and filed a complaint with the police.

Let this be a wake-up call :

✅  Never send money to unknown individuals
✅  Government agencies do not demand payments over phone calls
✅  Strict punishment is needed to stop these cyber crooks from exploiting innocent citizens