Senior Citizen Duped Of Rs 1.25-Crore By Cyber Criminals In Maharashtra's Thane

A 64-year-old businessman from Naupada in Thane was cheated of Rs 1.25 crore in a cyber fraud involving callers impersonating Data Protection Board of India and Nashik police personnel, an official said on Saturday.

The complainant was cheated through calls he received between November 11 and December 3, the Naupada police station official added.

'He got a call from a man who identified himself as Rajesh Kumar Chaudhary of Data Protection Board of India based in Mumbai's Khar area. He told the victim that a SIM card in his name was illegally issued in Nashik and used for threatening people. He was told that a case had been registered at Panchavati police station,' the official said.

'The victim then got calls from cyber criminals posing as Nashik police personnel. He was told that a bank account in Nashik was opened using his Aadhaar card, which was being used for large-scale illegal money transactions and money laundering, resulting in a case under the National Security Act,' the official added.

The fraudsters threatened and forced him to transfer Rs 1,25,50,280 into multiple accounts, the official said.

The Data Protection Board of India is a tribunal established under the DPDP Act 2023 to enforce privacy laws, handle data breach complaints, adjudicative violations and impose penalties on companies misusing personal data. It was formally established in November this year.

A case was registered on Friday under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, he said.

Efforts are on to nab the accused by tracking digital footprints, banking transactions and call records, the official added.