Ahmedabad: A shocking cyber fraud case has surfaced in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad where fraudsters posing as officials linked to the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) allegedly cheated an elderly woman of around ₹47.35 lakh over a period of four years. The accused reportedly threatened the woman with legal action, claiming that ₹10 lakh had been mistakenly deposited in her LIC account and that she would face court proceedings if the matter was not settled.
The victim is a 73-year-old woman who recently lodged a complaint related to cyber fraud. Preliminary investigation revealed that the fraud did not occur in a single incident but continued for nearly four years. During this period, the accused repeatedly demanded money from the victim under different pretexts, and she transferred the funds in several instalments.
Fraud Began With a Phone Call Posing as LIC Official
According to the complaint, the woman first received a call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an official associated with LIC and claimed that due to a technical error ₹10 lakh had been mistakenly credited to her account. The accused told the woman that if she wanted to resolve the issue or avoid complications, she would have to go through a legal process.
The caller further warned her that the matter could reach court and that legal proceedings would involve expenses such as lawyer fees, court charges and documentation costs. Presenting himself as someone willing to help resolve the issue, the caller assured the woman that he could handle the situation and prevent it from escalating into a legal dispute.
Gradually, the accused gained the woman’s trust and convinced her that certain processing charges and legal expenses needed to be paid to close the case. After that, the victim was repeatedly asked to transfer money under various heads including file processing charges, document verification fees, tax clearance and other legal costs.
Legal Threats Used to Build Trust and Pressure
Investigators said the woman was instructed to transfer money into several different bank accounts. Each time she made a payment, she was assured that the issue would soon be resolved and that the mistakenly deposited amount would be settled. Believing these claims, the woman continued sending money over the years.
Bank transaction records later revealed that a total of about ₹47.35 lakh had been transferred by the victim into multiple accounts during the four-year period. Throughout this time, the fraudsters allegedly kept assuring her that once the formalities were completed the matter would be closed and her funds would be secured.
₹47 Lakh Transferred Over Four Years
The fraud came to light when the woman recently mentioned to her family that she had been asked to transfer money again. Her relatives became suspicious and questioned her about the payments. After learning about the entire sequence of transactions, the family realised that she had been a victim of a prolonged cyber fraud and subsequently approached cyber crime authorities to file a complaint.
Investigators have now begun examining the bank transactions carried out by the victim. Efforts are underway to identify the bank accounts that received the funds and trace the mobile numbers and digital records linked to them. Officials suspect that the fraud could be part of a larger organised cybercrime network.
Experts Warn of Psychological Manipulation in Cyber Frauds
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that cyber criminals increasingly rely on psychological manipulation to deceive victims. According to him, fraudsters first establish trust and then exploit fear—such as the threat of legal action or financial penalties—to extract money. He added that elderly individuals are often targeted because they can be more vulnerable to such pressure tactics.
Experts also stress that no bank, insurance company or government agency demands payments over phone calls for returning mistakenly credited funds or resolving legal issues. People receiving such calls should immediately verify the information through official channels and avoid transferring money without confirmation.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious of suspicious calls and messages from unknown numbers. They have advised people to verify any financial demand directly with the concerned institution and report such incidents to cyber crime helplines or authorities at the earliest.
