Retired BARC Technician Duped of ₹24.80 Lakh in Cyber Fraud Impersonating Police

A 61-year-old retired senior technician from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) lost ₹24.80 lakh to cyber fraudsters who impersonated Crime Investigation Department (CID) officials and threatened him with a money-laundering case, according to police.

The victim, Vinayak Baburao Gaikwad, received a WhatsApp voice call on September 10 from someone claiming to be CID official Sandeep Rao. The caller alleged that a mobile SIM and bank account in Gaikwad's name had been misused for transactions worth ₹2 crore. When Gaikwad denied involvement, another fraudster identifying as Pradeep Jaiswal appeared on a video call with a fake Mumbai Police backdrop, claiming an arrest warrant had been issued. The accused kept Gaikwad under surveillance through repeated calls, instructed him to stay home, and sent fake Enforcement Directorate notices. They then demanded ₹24.80 lakh for case settlement, which the victim transferred between September 12-15.