The Trombay police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person who impersonated the Indian Navy officer’s friend and extorted money under the pretence of needing funds for his son’s medical emergency.
According to the police, the scam occurred on December 19 when the Navy officer received a call from the fraudster, who started the conversation by asking, “Do you recognise me?” The officer guessed, “Is it Nazrul Islam Mehndi?” The fraudster played along, claiming his son had met with an accident in Pune and urgently needed money for treatment. He further alleged that his UPI account and hospital numbers were not accepting funds. The officer agreed to help, and the fraudster proposed transferring a token amount of ₹1 first.
The officer received ₹1 as a test transaction and, without verifying the details, agreed to proceed. The fraudster then sent fake payment confirmation messages, convincing the officer to transfer a total of ₹63,000 across multiple accounts using UPI and scanners.
However, the fraud unravelled when the officer asked the fraudster to converse in Bengali, his native language. As the scammer could not speak in Bengali, the officer realised that had been duped. Subsequently, the officer approached the police and lodged a complaint.
Police have registered a case under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are investigating the matter to trace the fraudster and recover the stolen amount.
