Elderly man loses 35.74 lakh life financial savings in impersonation fraud

A 79-year-old resident of Domalguda was duped of ₹35.74 lakh after being manipulated by callers posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers.

The fraudsters falsely implicated the aged man in a fabricated cash laundering case and coerced him into transferring his life financial savings over a interval of ten days.

The incident unfolded on July 6, 2025, when the sufferer acquired a telephone name from a person figuring out himself as Vijay Khanna, allegedly a CBI officer calling from Colaba police station in Mumbai. The caller claimed {that a} checking account registered within the sufferer’s identify at Canara Bank’s Colaba department was linked to cash laundering operations involving a suspect named Naresh Goel. To lend credibility to the allegation, the caller cited a fabricated FIR quantity and shared solid paperwork purporting to be Supreme Court orders and official CBI warrants.

Over the course of a number of calls, the sufferer was systematically intimidated and warned to not disclose the matter to anybody, citing nationwide safety considerations and the alleged involvement of high-profile people. The scammers satisfied the aged man that the investigation was being monitored by the apex courtroom and that his cooperation was essential to keep away from arrest or additional issues.

Under the pretext of verifying the funds in his account, the fraudsters instructed the sufferer to switch his cash to financial institution accounts they offered, with the peace of mind that the funds can be returned as soon as cleared. Another particular person, introducing himself as Ayush Gupta, a so-called investigation officer, joined the decision and exerted additional stress, urging the sufferer to conform immediately.

The sufferer transferred a complete of ₹35,74,094 between July 6 and 16. He was later instructed that his identify had been cleared from the suspect record and requested to gather his cash from the closest crime department workplace.

It was solely then, when he sought to observe up with native authorities, that he realised he had been defrauded. The man approached the cyber crime police station in Hyderabad, the place a case has now been registered.

A case was booked and investigation is at the moment beneath approach to hint the accounts and determine these behind the calls.