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Ludhiana: ‘Fake’ ED officials siphon off ₹2.6 cr from farmer
The conmen used threats and intimidation, telling the victim he was involved in a major financial scandal, and convinced him to transfer the large sum of money to multiple bank accounts
A farmer from Machhiwara was scammed out of ₹2.65 crore by fraudsters pretending to be officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The conmen used threats and intimidation, telling the victim he was involved in a major financial scandal, and convinced him to transfer the large sum of money to multiple bank accounts.
The victim, Mahinder Singh, reported to the police that on the night of June 9, he received a call from a person claiming to be a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) employee. This caller alleged that during a CBI and ED raid on the residence of a prominent airline owner, 247 ATM cards and ₹58 crore in cash were seized, and that one of the cards was linked to a fake bank account in Mahinder Singh’s name. The caller warned that his bank accounts would now be scrutinised.
Shortly after, another caller, who identified himself as Vijay Khanna from the ED, contacted Mahinder. He claimed that the farmer’s accounts were under investigation and warned him not to discuss the matter with anyone or he would face imprisonment. The fraudster stated that all funds in his accounts, except for ₹1.25 lakh, would be “checked” and instructed him to transfer the rest to an ED account.
The next day, Mahinder received a WhatsApp message with what appeared to be a Supreme Court document ordering him to transfer ₹51 lakh to a specific bank account. Believing the document was authentic, he complied. Over the next few days, the scam artists instructed him to send money to several other accounts, eventually taking a total of ₹2.65 crore. The fraudsters even sent him fake receipts claiming the ED had received the funds.
Realising he had been cheated, Mahinder informed his family and reported the crime to the cyber wing of Khanna police. A case has been registered against unidentified individuals.
Superintendent of police (SP) Pawanpreet stated that the bank accounts used in the fraud are being examined and that cyber wing teams are following leads. “We will nab the accused soon. People must be alert and report such suspicious calls to the cyber helpline at 1930,” he said.
Officials have also raised concerns about how these criminal gangs are able to access details of individuals with large bank deposits. A similar case occurred earlier in which another farmer from Machhiwara lost crores, and the perpetrator was found to be a bank employee.
A pattern of extortion
July 18: A senior professor at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University fell prey to a high-profile cyber scam after fraudsters posing as CBI officials extorted ₹20 lakh from him under the pretext of a fabricated “digital arrest”.
September 2024: Cybercriminals duped Vardhman Group chairman SP Oswal of ₹7 crore using a similar method. The crooks had impersonated ED officials and linked his name to a money laundering probe connected to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. Though some arrests were made in that case, the mastermind remains at large.
