Cybercrime alert: Man loses Rs 60 lakh in Telangana’s Hanumakonda; scammers posed as Bengaluru police

A 59-year-old resident of Hanumakonda lost Rs 60 lakh after being duped by fraudsters posing as Bengaluru police officers, officials said. The scammers threatened him with arrest in a fabricated human trafficking and money laundering case.According to the victim’s complaint, he received a call on August 18 from a man claiming to be from the telecom department. The caller allegedly told him that a case had been registered against him in Bengaluru. Soon after, another man posing as sub-inspector Shiva Prasad of the Bengaluru City Police contacted him via WhatsApp video call, accusing him of involvement in human trafficking and fraud.The fraudsters produced fake documents, including a Supreme Court order containing the victim’s Aadhaar and bank details, to make their claims appear credible. Under pressure, the victim transferred Rs 60 lakh to an account registered under the name Vishwa Global Charity Foundation, believing it to be part of a court-directed verification process.The scammers refunded Rs 50,000 to gain his trust and continued threatening him, demanding an additional Rs 75 lakh to prevent supposed legal action. “The money I lost was proceeds from selling my inherited property. I sold it in Hanumakonda to meet the expenses I incurred for my daughter’s wedding and son’s education,” the victim said in his complaint.Unable to cope with the stress, the victim finally confided in his family, who advised him to approach the authorities. Following his complaint, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau’s (TGCSB) Warangal police station registered a case under sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS (cheating and cheating by personation) and sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act.Authorities have constantly urged the public to remain cautious of such impersonation scams and verify any calls or messages claiming to be from law enforcement or government agencies.