Elderly man loses Rs 34K to cyber-fraud

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Receiving an unidentified video call cost an unsuspecting retired government employee in the city Rs 34,500 to an online fraud.

It was revealed that the 74-year-old victim is a resident of KHB Colony of Yelahanka New Town in Bengaluru. In his complaint, the victim stated to the jurisdictional police that he received a video call on August 11 midnight and was shocked to see a nude woman.

As the woman did not respond to his questions, the victim disconnected the call and switched off his mobile phone.

Three days later, the victim again received a phone call from an unknown person posing as a cop from Delhi Cyber Cell. The fraudster told the victim that he had been booked following a complaint by a woman alleging that he had seen her naked on a video call.

The victim told the man that he didn’t make the call, but was told that his video call with the woman had been recorded.

Scared over arrest, the elderly man paid Rs 11,500 to the caller. Later he again transferred Rs 23,000 as demanded by the fraudster. A few days later, the victim received a call again where the caller told him that the woman had committed suicide.

The caller demanded Rs 4 lakh for dropping the charges against him. Unable to bear the harassment anymore, the victim approached the Yelahanka New Town Police Station and registered a complaint. A probe is underway.