Hyderabad: A retired teacher from Nizamabad was duped out of 19 lakh by fraudsters posing as Bengaluru police and CBI officials. The 63-year-old victim, who lost his retirement benefits, reported the incident to the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Wednesday after realising the fraud.On August 19, 2025, the victim received a call from a fraudster claiming to be Mahidhar, an employee of the Telecom Department. The caller warned that the victim’s mobile services would be suspended due to the alleged misuse of a mobile number linked to his Aadhaar card. He subsequently received a WhatsApp video call from a person claiming to be a sub-inspector from Bengaluru, who scared the victim by saying that multiple cases had been registered against him.The fraudsters further manipulated the victim by introducing a pseudo-CBI officer, Pardeep Singh, who claimed that an arrest warrant was issued against the victim in connection with an overseas job fraud. Under the pretence of clearing his name, the victim was coerced into revealing his bank details and transferring his retirement savings of 19 lakh from his SBI fixed deposit to a bank account provided by the fraudsters.Fearing repercussions, the victim initially kept the incident secret, as instructed by the accused, but later confided in his son, who urged him to report the crime. Based on the victim’s complaint, a case was registered at TGCSB’s Nizamabad PS under Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 336(3) (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 340(2) (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), and 126(2) (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the BNS, along with Sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act. Police are analysing the bank transactions to identify the accused.
