Bengaluru (Aryavarth): In a startling event of fraud, a 62-year-old retiree from Thane, Maharashtra, has allegedly been swindled out of a substantial Rs 16.73 lakh. The elaborate scam involved seven individuals who misrepresented themselves as insurance and bank officials to deceive the elderly victim, local authorities reported on Monday.
Based on the complaint lodged by the victim, a retired postal department employee, an offense was registered under section 420 (pertaining to cheating) and other pertinent provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The complainant disclosed that he had procured insurance from a private firm back in 2018, retiring from his service in 2021. Over the past four to five years, he claimed to have received calls from various numbers, with callers masquerading as officials of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) based in Delhi. Initially, the man disregarded these unsolicited calls.
However, in March, he received another call, the caller insinuating that there were incomplete formalities pertaining to his insurance policy that could potentially result in a loss of benefits. The alleged deception escalated as the senior citizen began to receive calls from different numbers, with the individuals claiming to be insurance officials, RBI officials, and insurance Lokpal. The unsuspecting man was informed that his policy had been frozen by the IRDA and that he would need to remit a certain amount to rectify the situation.
As instructed, the victim paid Rs 16.73 lakh over a given period. But, once the payments had been made, he received no further information regarding his policy money, and the accused individuals promptly became untraceable.
