Faridabad: Three men have been arrested for allegedly duping a Sector-29 resident of nearly ₹1.9 crore by posing as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials and coercing him into transferring funds on the pretext of account “verification”, police said.
The accused have been identified as Asif (21) of Niranjanpur Majra in Dehradun, Kashif Azam (24) of Nanauta Dehat in Saharanpur, and Nadeem Ahmad (38) of Indra Nagar Colony in Dehradun. All three were produced before a city court and remanded to three days’ police custody for further interrogation.
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According to investigators, the fraud began on December 6, 2025, when the victim received a call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as an employee of Airtel headquarters in Gurugram and claimed that the victim’s Wi-Fi connection was about to be disconnected due to technical issues requiring immediate verification.
Shortly afterwards, the victim was contacted again by another caller who claimed to be an RBI official. He was told that suspicious transactions had been detected in his bank account and that the account had come under regulatory scrutiny.
The accused allegedly warned the victim that failure to cooperate could lead to his account being frozen and possible money laundering charges. To create a sense of urgency and legitimacy, they used banking terminology and maintained continuous telephonic and online contact.
The victim was instructed to transfer money in multiple instalments as part of a so-called verification process. He was told that the funds would be moved temporarily to an RBI-monitored account and returned once the inquiry was completed.
Believing the claims, the victim transferred approximately ₹1.9 crore through a series of transactions. When the money was not returned and the callers became unreachable, he realised he had been defrauded and approached the police.
During the investigation, officers analysed bank transaction trails, mobile numbers and digital footprints, which led them to locations in Dehradun and Saharanpur. Raids were conducted and the three accused were apprehended.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the accused used fake SIM cards, mule bank accounts and internet-based calling platforms to conceal their identities and route the funds. Police are now working to identify other members of the network and trace the flow of the siphoned money across multiple accounts.
The court granted three days’ police remand, during which investigators plan to conduct forensic examination of seized digital devices, map linked bank accounts and identify additional victims who may have been targeted using similar methods.
Cybercrime experts said the case reflects a growing pattern in which fraudsters impersonate RBI, bank or telecom officials and use the pretext of KYC updates or regulatory verification to induce victims to transfer money.
Police reiterated that neither the RBI nor any bank asks customers over phone calls to transfer funds for verification purposes. Citizens have been advised to disconnect such calls immediately and report the incident to the national cybercrime helpline 1930 to prevent financial loss.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
