Cybercriminals in Lucknow placed a 69-year-old retired railway officer under digital arrest for nine days and swindled him of ₹47 lakh after threatening to frame him in a fabricated terror funding case. Posing as state police personnel, Anti-Terrorism Squad officers, and senior National Investigation Agency officials, the fraudsters coerced the victim into liquidating his savings and breaking his fixed deposits. Following a formal complaint lodged by the victim, the cybercrime police station has registered a first information report against unidentified suspects and initiated an inquiry.
Threat of Terror Funding Case and Fake Arrest Warrant
The victim, Alok Kumar Sharma, a resident of Aliganj, received an unsolicited WhatsApp call on the afternoon of October 15. The caller identified herself as Senior Inspector Anita Sharma from the Lucknow Police Headquarters. She claimed that a fraudulent mobile SIM card had been procured in Kashmir using Sharma’s identification details and subsequently used to operate an illegal HDFC Bank account. The caller alleged that financial transactions from this account had funded a terrorist identified as Asif Fauji. Accusing the retired officer of anti-national conduct, she warned that an arrest warrant had been issued against him and threatened immediate imprisonment unless he complied with directives.
Impersonation of ATS and NIA Officials via Video Calls
The fraudsters escalated the intimidation by instructing the victim to coordinate with officers at the Pune ATS headquarters. Soon after, a man identifying himself as ATS officer Prem Kumar Gautam initiated a video call and ordered Sharma to report to Pune in person. When Sharma cited his advanced age and inability to travel immediately, the caller offered to connect him with NIA chief Rakesh Agrawal. Under the guise of central investigative scrutiny, the fraudsters instructed Sharma to keep his camera switched on continuously at home, maintaining uninterrupted digital surveillance and strictly barring him from contacting anyone else.
Fixed Deposits Broken to Transfer ₹47 Lakh Across Accounts
Exploiting the victim’s panic over impending arrest, the accused extracted sensitive records concerning his bank accounts and fixed deposits. They persuaded him that moving his funds was a mandatory verification procedure required to clear his name and confirm his innocence. Between October 15 and October 23, Sharma broke his fixed deposits and transferred a cumulative sum of ₹47 lakh into multiple designated bank accounts. When the perpetrators continued to demand further payments, Sharma grew suspicious, severed communication, and consulted an acquaintance. After being informed that he had fallen prey to an extortion scam, he alerted his family and submitted a complaint to the cybercrime police, who are now tracking the financial transactions and mobile numbers involved.
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