E-Paper
Chandigarh: Govt doctor falls victim to ₹39-lakh cyber fraud
The incident was reported to Chandigarh Cyber Crime police station, where officers advised the victim and his wife to block all suspicious numbers and stop responding to the scam calls
A Chandigarh-based doctor working at the Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Sector 26, was duped of ₹39.7 lakh by scammers posing as officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Communication Regulatory Authority of India.
The victim, who did not reveal his name in the complaint, told police that the fraud began on June 24, when he, while on duty in the Medicine-1 OPD, received a call from an individual identifying himself as Sunil K Mishra from Delhi.
The caller claimed that his Aadhaar-linked SIM card was involved in illegal activities and linked to terrorist operations.
The victim alleged he was transferred to a purported police station over video call, where a man introduced himself as ADC of police and ED officer, SB Shiradkar, from Lucknow. The fake ED official claimed that he could face 5-7 years of imprisonment unless he cooperated by transferring funds, allegedly for RBI audits and investigations.
The scammers used forged letters bearing the logos of Reserve Bank of India and Central Bureau of Investigation to demand various payments over several weeks.
Under the threat of imprisonment, the doctor said he was coerced into transferring a total of ₹39.70 lakh across multiple transactions through SBI and HDFC bank accounts. The victim’s father, an eye surgeon and HOD at Guru Nanak Mission Hospital, Jalandhar, was also targeted, with scammers falsely claiming that his son was in police custody and extracting around ₹12 lakh from him.
On July 11, the victim and his wife rushed to Jalandhar, where they filed a complaint with the local police commissioner. Despite this, the scammers continued demanding money, with the final request being ₹10.3 lakh on July 22, which the doctor refused to pay. The couple later reported the incident to Chandigarh Cyber Crime police station, where officers advised them to block all suspicious numbers and stop responding to the scam calls.
Authorities are investigating the matter and no arrests have been made so far. The total amount extorted stands at nearly ₹40 lakh and police are urging the public to remain vigilant against such scams.
