An 86-year-old Mumbai resident lost more than Rs 20 crore to cyber criminals who deceived her by impersonating police officials. Through their phone call, the criminals forced her to transfer large amounts of money to multiple accounts by threatening to frame her family in a money laundering case through misused Aadhaar identification. The fraudulent scheme lasted from December 26, 2024, to March 3, 2025, until the victim discovered the scam and notified police about the incident.
An unknown criminal ring contacted the victim by pretending to be a police officer and described how a bank account connected to money laundering activities utilised the victim’s personal details. The scammers threatened the elderly woman with legal consequences that would involve her daughter and family members. The fraudsters forced the victim to move funds by threatening to keep her in “digital arrest,” preventing her from communicating with others.
Fraudsters Arrested After Investigation
After realising that she had fallen victim to the scam, the woman approached the police and quickly initiated an investigation. During their probe, authorities tracked the stolen money to several bank accounts, including one belonging to Shayan Jamil Sheikh, one of the accused. Sheikh, a 20-year-old from Malad, was arrested after police discovered that he had withdrawn Rs 4.99 lakh from one of the fraudulent accounts.
In a significant development, the investigation revealed that Rajik Azam Butt, another 20-year-old from Mira Road, was linked to an international fraud network. Butt was found to have created a Telegram group consisting of 13 foreign nationals, through which he allegedly shared information about Indian bank accounts to assist in further fraudulent activities. Butt was arrested, though another suspect, Rayan Arshad Sheikh, managed to flee.
UIDAI Urges Public to be Cautious
The police uncovered that Butt played a crucial role in directing the stolen funds to international masterminds, helping facilitate the laundering of the money abroad. Investigators are now working to uncover the full extent of the operation and how many more bank accounts were used in the scam.
This case serves as a stark reminder to the public about the dangers of cyber fraud, especially involving personal identification information like Aadhaar. Authorities have urged people to remain cautious and not share sensitive details over the phone. Neither police nor Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) officials will request such information, and individuals who suspect misuse of their Aadhaar can track its usage through the myAadhaar portal to spot any unauthorised transactions.
