Retired Teacher Duped of ₹1.57 Crore by Impersonator Claiming to Be Mark Zuckerberg

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Retired Teacher Loses ₹1.57 Crore in Sophisticated Cyber Scam

A retired teacher from Kanpur has fallen victim to a complex cyber scam, resulting in a financial loss of ₹1.57 crore. The scam, which spanned 13 months, involved impostors posing as high-profile figures, including Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Josh Turner.

Initial Contact and Trust-Building

The victim, a retired teacher from Methodist High School, was initially contacted by an individual claiming to be Mark Zuckerberg through social media. The impostor gained the victim’s trust by promising to help her establish a school business in the city.

Additional Impostors and False Assurances

Over time, additional impostors contacted the victim, claiming to be associates of Elon Musk and Josh Turner, and offered assurances of profitable ventures and job opportunities.

Diversion of Funds and False Claims

The scammers managed to divert funds from the victim’s personal savings, retirement funds, and mutual fund investments into various bank accounts, citing processing fees, investment charges, and administrative costs. The victim was also contacted by an individual claiming to be “Miracle Givers,” who stated that her money had been shipped in packages via FedEx and required additional payment for shipping, customs, and other fees.

Advocate from “Lead India” Office

As the victim became suspicious, she ceased contact with “Miracle Givers.” However, she was subsequently contacted by a person claiming to be an advocate from the “Lead India” office in Delhi, who told her that her funds had been invested with a company called Wisdom Capital. The advocate opened a trading account in the victim’s name, showing a balance of ₹2,23,15,520 after tax deductions.

Additional Payments and Promises

To access the funds, the victim was asked to pay further amounts for taxes, verification fees, stamp duty, and rebalancing charges. The scammers promised that the full sum would be available by February 20, 2026, along with an interest of ₹18.86 a month.

Complaint and Investigation

The victim estimated that she had transferred ₹1.57 crore from her retirement fund, lifelong savings, and mutual fund investments. She finally filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal on February 27, 2027. Following this, cyber authorities froze ₹30.42 lakh from the accounts linked to the fraudulent transactions.

Warning from Cyber Cell

The police have described the fraud as highly planned, exploiting the victim’s trust through multiple layers of deception. The Cyber Cell has urged citizens to verify any investment or business proposal received online and avoid transferring money to unverified accounts, particularly when unsolicited assistance is promised by alleged high-profile figures.

According to the Cyber Cell, even small initial amounts or procedural fees in such schemes are often a prelude to much larger financial losses, and vigilance is essential to prevent such scams.