Bengaluru college principal duped of Rs 24 lakh in fake child trafficking digital arrest scam

By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Dec 12, 2024, 12:10 PM IST

A Bengaluru college principal lost Rs 24.32 lakh to cybercriminals posing as CBI officers. They accused her of child trafficking and money laundering, sending fake documents and demanding funds for investigation. Realizing the fraud later, she filed a complaint with the cyber police.

A female principal of a reputed college in Bengaluru became the victim of an elaborate cyber fraud, losing Rs 24.32 lakh to scammers who posed as investigative officers. The fraudsters deceived her by claiming she was implicated in an international child trafficking and money laundering case.

The incident occurred at a college near Vimanapura on Old Airport Road. An FIR has been registered at the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station in Whitefield division. According to police, the scammers pretended to be officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and extorted money from the victim.

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On November 22, the principal received a call from an unknown person claiming to be "CBI Officer Ashish Sharma." The caller alleged that her mobile number was linked to illegal activities, including human trafficking and money laundering. He claimed that a parcel in her name containing 16 passports, 58 ATM cards, and 140 grams of drugs had been intercepted and that 180 children were stranded in Singapore due to her involvement.

The principal, shocked by the accusations, was told that a complaint had been filed against her for illegal child trafficking. The caller assured her of assistance before registering the FIR, further pressuring her to cooperate. Shortly after, another person sent her fake documents on WhatsApp, purportedly from the Delhi Police, and summoned her for questioning.

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The scammers insisted they needed her bank details to verify her financial transactions, claiming they were investigating money laundering charges. They demanded that she transfer the funds in her account to a "government account" for safekeeping, promising to return the money after the investigation was completed.

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Believing the claims, the principal transferred Rs 24.32 lakh to the provided account through RTGS. Once the transaction was completed, the fraudsters cut all contact. Realizing she had been duped, the principal approached the cyber police and filed a complaint.

The Whitefield division’s CEN Police have launched an investigation into the case. Officials suspect the involvement of a professional cybercrime network. They have urged citizens to remain cautious and verify the identities of callers claiming to represent law enforcement agencies.

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