An 81-year-old retiree from Bengaluru was conned out of ₹1.77 crore by cybercriminals who posed as law enforcement officers investigating a money-laundering case involving Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. The elaborate 10-day scam, executed between July 5 and 15, left the man psychologically cornered and financially devastated.
The victim, a resident of Sadananda Nagar in NGEF Layout, received a phone call from an alleged police officer named Sandeep Jadhav claiming to be from Colaba Police Station, Mumbai. He was told that his Aadhaar number had been misused to open a bank account involved in laundering activities. Under the ruse of a “digital arrest,” the caller showed the elderly man a fake arrest warrant via WhatsApp.
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Psychological Pressure and Fake ‘Secure’ Transfers
According to the FIR filed at the East CEN police station on July 23, the scammers coerced the man into believing he would be arrested and all his accounts frozen unless he complied. They convinced him that he must transfer his savings to “secure accounts” for a government-led investigation and promised the funds would be returned once cleared.
Between July 9 and July 15, the senior citizen transferred funds via internet banking. It was only when he received no confirmation or return of money that he reported the incident to the police. The FIR was registered under Sections 66, 66D, 66C, and 43 of the Information Technology Act, as well as Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
Authorities have noted a disturbing trend of similar scams linking victims’ Aadhaar numbers to high-profile investigations to extort large sums. Multiple cases falsely invoking Naresh Goyal’s name have been reported nationwide in recent months.