CBI Inquiry Exposed: Fake Investigation Conducted Over WhatsApp Video Calls

Cyber Scam Targets 83-Year-Old Retired Indian Navy Officer

A sophisticated cyber scam has targeted an 83-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, resulting in a loss of ₹42.50 lakh.

The Scam

The incident, which occurred between December 8 and 10, involved a fake “CBI inquiry” conducted over video calls, where the victim was coerced into liquidating fixed deposits and transferring the funds for supposed verification.

How the Scam Unfolded

The scam began with a call from a person claiming to be a Telecom Department official, stating that multiple complaints had been lodged against the victim. Shortly after, the victim received a video call from an individual identifying himself as Pradeep Kumar, who claimed to be a CBI officer.

Kumar alleged that ₹20 lakh had been transferred into the victim’s bank account by a person named Naresh Goyal, and that the retired officer was under investigation for money laundering.

To add credibility to the scam, the fraudsters arranged another video call, where a man dressed as a judge appeared to conduct a mock courtroom proceeding. The “judge” claimed that 27 cases had been registered against the victim and instructed him to cooperate with the investigation.

The Victim’s Ordeal

The victim was subjected to prolonged video calls, during which he was threatened with arrest and reputational damage if he did not comply with the instructions. He was also warned not to leave his house or speak to anyone, a tactic commonly used in “digital arrest” scams.

The scammers directed the victim to write a declaration stating he was not involved in any wrongdoing and to share photographs of the signed statement along with his bank details.

The Money Trail

On December 9, the victim’s wife broke a fixed deposit at a private bank branch and transferred ₹21.24 lakh to a YES Bank account provided by the scammers. The next day, another fixed deposit was prematurely closed at a nationalized bank branch, and ₹21.25 lakh was transferred to the same account.

The Scam is Uncovered

The scam was uncovered on December 11 when the family attempted another withdrawal and bank officials flagged the transaction as suspicious. An online complaint was filed on the national cybercrime portal, and a formal FIR was subsequently registered.

Investigations and Warning

Investigations revealed that the accused had deleted call logs and chat records from the victim’s phone, indicating remote manipulation or instructions to erase digital evidence.

Cybercrime officials stated that the case bears the hallmarks of the growing “digital arrest” fraud model, where victims are isolated, intimidated, and coerced into transferring money under the guise of law-enforcement verification.

Authorities emphasized that no investigative agency conducts inquiries via calls, demands secrecy from family members, or asks citizens to transfer money for verification. They urged the public to immediately disconnect such calls, inform relatives, and report incidents on the national cybercrime helpline 1930.