Senior Citizen Loses ₹47 Lakh to Cyber Scammers Posing as NPCI Officials

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Ahmedabad Woman Loses ₹47.35 Lakh to Sophisticated Cyber Scam

A 73-year-old retired woman in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has fallen victim to a sophisticated cyber scam, losing ₹47.35 lakh to imposters posing as officials of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The Scam

The scammers convinced the woman that a large sum of money had been deposited in her name with a government department and could be released after completing certain formalities.

The scam began on April 28, 2022, when the woman received a phone call from an individual claiming to be Jitendra Goswami, a senior NPCI officer. Goswami informed the woman that ₹10 lakh linked to a Life Insurance Corporation of India policy had been deposited in her name and could be released once certain procedures were completed.

“Over time, the woman was connected with multiple other individuals who also claimed to be associated with NPCI, including a woman who introduced herself as an NPCI officer based in Mumbai, as well as senior officials, legal advisors, and an IT officer.”

The scammers convinced the woman that various legal and administrative formalities were required before the amount could be released, including the payment of taxes, stamp duties, and other government charges. The woman was assured that once these payments were made, a large amount would be transferred to her account.

The Investigation

During the investigation, it emerged that the scammers had asked the woman to open new bank accounts in her own name, which she did in ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank. She was also instructed to obtain a new SIM card and courier the account kits, including passbooks, ATM cards, and the SIM card, to an address in Delhi.

Investigators suspect that the scammers may have used these accounts to withdraw money obtained from the victim and to route funds collected from other victims through the same accounts.

The Scam Continues

The scam continued even later, with the woman receiving another call in 2025 from a person claiming to be an NPCI fund transfer officer. The officer informed her that ₹1.48 crore had accumulated in her name with NPCI and that the amount could be transferred to her bank account after paying additional taxes.

Believing the claim, the woman arranged money by pledging her jewelry and transferred further amounts to the accounts specified by the scammers.

“Later, another individual claiming to be a senior finance manager sent photographs of an alleged identity card and Aadhaar card to gain her trust and asked her to deposit an additional ₹1.12 lakh as tax.”

The Complaint

The woman’s suspicions were eventually raised, and she contacted the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and filed a complaint at the Cyber Crime Police Station.

According to the complaint, the scammers allegedly cheated the woman of a total of ₹47.35 lakh through multiple bank transactions carried out over the years.

Police are currently examining bank accounts, mobile numbers, and courier records used in the case to trace the suspects and identify those involved in the fraud. The investigation is ongoing.