Ahmedabad: NRI couple cheated of Rs 33 lakh by fraudsters posing as anti-terror officials

Ahmedabad: A WhatsApp video call on April 2 set off a chain of events that cost an elderly NRI couple from Ahmedabad Rs 33 lakh. Fraudsters posing as anti-terror officials convinced a 78-year-old retired teacher that her husband was linked to a terror probe as his Aadhaar card was found during a raid on a terrorist's farmhouse. The accused used video calls, fake documents and psychological pressure to isolate the couple. They convinced them they were under investigation for money laundering. Over a week, the victim transferred Rs 33 lakh before raising an alarm.According to a complaint filed with the Cybercrime police on Monday, the caller claimed to be from the Anti-Terrorism Squad and said a raid at a farmhouse owned by a terrorist, Asif, had led to the seizure of weapons, cash, and around 200 Aadhaar cards. The caller alleged that her husband's Aadhaar card was among those recovered.The caller further claimed that a bank account had been opened in her husband's name at a private bank in Pahalgam, with her listed as a joint holder, and that the account was used for money laundering involving lakhs of rupees."They asked for the last four digits of our Aadhaar numbers, which we provided. Then, they correctly spelled out the full Aadhaar numbers, convincing us that they are genuine officers," she told police.To make the story more convincing, the fraudster sent images of cash, weapons and Aadhaar cards, which were quickly deleted. He kept his face hidden during video calls and warned the couple, who are citizens of the US currently living in Naranpura, of serious legal consequences. "He told us that we were suspects and instructed us to report via WhatsApp video call every three hours, not to inform anyone else, and not to allow any third person during the calls," the complainant stated.The fraudsters then sent fake arrest warrants and seizure orders carrying govt seals. The couple was made to sign a confidentiality agreement and share its image through screen sharing. They were also asked to show bank passbooks, cheque books, fixed deposits, property documents and passports.Later, another caller posing as an officer joined in and told the woman to prove her innocence. Under pressure, she was asked to transfer money via RTGS to a private bank account, with the assurance that it would be returned after RBI clearance.On April 9, she transferred Rs 24 lakh from a nationalised bank account and another Rs 9 lakh from a separate account, taking the total to Rs 33 lakh.She was also instructed to move funds from a senior citizen savings scheme into a joint account. "Later, they claimed there was an error and asked us to sign documents again. They also instructed us to break four fixed deposits in a private bank and deposit the money into a savings account, which we followed," she told police.The complainant said she began to suspect foul play on Friday night and informed her sister and brother-in-law the next day. After they checked with their contacts, the fraud was confirmed. Despite this, the accused continued calling and pressuring the couple to transfer more money via WhatsApp video calls even on Monday.