A doctor from the prestigious Postgraduate Institute (PGI) Lucknow fell victim to a sophisticated cybercrime, losing a staggering Rs 2.8 crore to fraudsters posing as TRAI and CBI officials.
The ordeal began when the doctor, Dr Ruchika Tandon, received a call claiming her SIM card was involved in illegal activities. The caller, impersonating a TRAI official, threatened to block her number and transferred the call to another individual posing as a CBI officer.
The fraudsters then proceeded to ‘digitally arrest’ Dr Tandon, accusing her of involvement in women and child trafficking, and demanded a hefty ransom to avoid legal action. Over a period of three days, the terrified doctor transferred Rs 2.81 crore to multiple accounts as instructed by the scammers.
It was only after the ordeal ended that Dr Tandon realized she had been duped and lodged a complaint with the Lucknow Cyber Police. While the police have initiated an investigation and frozen the accused’s accounts, the majority of the stolen funds have already been transferred to other accounts.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the increasing sophistication of cybercrimes and the importance of remaining vigilant against such scams. Authorities are urging the public to exercise caution when receiving calls from unknown individuals claiming to be government officials and to immediately report any suspicious activity.
