Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): A 61-year-old woman was duped of 35 lakh rupees by cyber criminals in Jabalpur, police said on Monday. The fraudsters posed as State Bank of India officials and tricked her into sending a large amount of money.
The woman named Kusumlata, is from Ranjhi’s Raksha Nagar Colony, Jabalpur.
Kusumlata’s husband, Gokulchand, a retired army workshop employee, accompanied her to the police station on Sunday to file a complaint.
How the Woman Fell Victim to the Scam
According to information, Kusumlata, on January 14, received a call from an unknown number, where the caller introduced himself as the official of the State Bank of India.
The caller informed her that there was an outstanding balance on her credit card and accused her of involvement in money laundering. He threatened her with legal action if she didn’t act immediately, which caused her to panic.
The fraudsters continued their scam by calling her on January 14 and 15, pretending to be police officers and lawyers.
They showed her a fake police station scene during a video call and warned her of an imminent arrest warrant for money laundering. Fearing arrest, Kusumlata was pressured to pay a large sum to stop the supposed legal proceedings.
Under the false threat of arrest, the fraudsters demanded 35 lakh rupees to avoid jail time. They instructed her not to inform anyone about the payment.
Kusumlata’s husband had recently retired, and the amount was part of his pension savings. On January 16, following the scammers’ instructions, Kusumlata visited Punjab National Bank and transferred the 35 lakh rupees to the fraudsters’ account via RTGS.
After the money was sent, the scammers continued to pressure her for more funds.
Realising she had been scammed, Kusumlata finally informed her family and filed a complaint with the police.
