Hyderabad: A 68-year-old man has been cheated of Rs 26.06 lakh by cyber scammers in Hyderabad who exploited a real-world tragedy to create a terrifying web of deception.
The fraudsters, impersonating officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), falsely accused the senior citizen of having connections to terrorism, specifically invoking the Pahalgam attacks in Kashmir to instil fear and coerce him into transferring a large sum of money.
The victim's ordeal began with an intimidating phone call from an individual who claimed he was being investigated for money laundering and links to the terror incident. The fraud took place between September 17 and September 19, 2025.
To make their claims appear genuine, the scammers showed him forged arrest warrants, fake RBI letters, and other fabricated documents. They accused him of receiving Rs 70 lakh from a terrorist and threatened him with a "digital arrest" if he didn't comply.
The victim, kept under constant intimidation and warned not to inform anyone, was coerced into transferring money in two instalments to an account in the name of "Hentry Jones". He transferred over Rs 26 lakh from his and his wife's bank accounts.
The fraud came to light only after the victim's family grew suspicious. He has since reported the case to the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930).
The authorities have issued an urgent public advisory to combat this new and menacing tactic used by fraudsters.
'Digital Arrests' are a Fraud: Police and other law enforcement agencies never conduct arrests over digital platforms and will never demand money to "clear" a name or issue a certificate of no involvement.
Fraudsters are using sophisticated tactics like caller ID spoofing and impersonating senior police officers from agencies like the NIA and ATS to threaten people with false allegations of serious crimes like terrorism and money laundering.
They use fake documents, such as arrest warrants and RBI letters, along with video calls, to create a sense of legitimacy and urgency.
What to do if you receive such a call? Remain calm, disconnect the call immediately, and do not share any personal or financial details. Verify any claims directly by visiting a local police station or calling an official government helpline.
In the event of a financial loss, victims are urged to immediately call the 1930 helpline or report the crime on the official cybercrime portal, www.cybercrime.gov.in.
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