Mysore/Mysuru: Cyber criminals posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Officer and Bandra Police have duped a resident of Vijayanagar, Mysuru, of Rs. 82.10 lakh, threatening him with money laundering charges.

The victim, Mahesh (name changed), received a call from Mob: 91051-46956. The caller, identifying himself as M.V. Amith Shyam, Public Relations Officer of TRAI Notification Division, claimed that Mahesh’s mobile no. 93956-xxx78 had been used for illegal activities and instructed him to contact Bandra Police for clarification.

Following the instructions, Mahesh made a video call to the number provided. The person on the call, dressed in a Police uniform with a Mumbai Crime Branch logo in the background, claimed obscene videos and illegal advertisements had been sent from Mahesh’s number. He further alleged that threatening calls were being made to Mumbai residents using Mahesh’s phone.

The fake officer also told Mahesh that transactions worth Rs. 2 crore had been made from his bank account and that arrest warrants had been issued against him and his wife in money laundering cases.

He instructed Mahesh to transfer funds, claiming a No Objection Certificate (NOC) would be issued only after inspecting his bank accounts and properties. Trusting the caller, Mahesh transferred Rs. 11.10 lakh from his Union Bank account, Rs. 33 lakh from Axis Bank and Rs. 38 lakh from IndusInd Bank, totalling Rs. 82.10 lakh across bank accounts, including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and ICICI Bank.

When communication from the impostor ceased for several days, Mahesh realised he had been cheated and lodged a complaint with the city’s Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station.

In a similar incident, a 71-year-old man was cheated of Rs. 5 lakh on Dec. 5 after being threatened with a ‘Digital Arrest’ in a money laundering case. The criminal demanded the money as a fee to avoid arrest. A case has also been registered in this matter at the  CEN Police Station.