Tormenting the Gullible

Three days ago I got a call from an unknown number. The caller told me that the TRAI had got a complaint about obscene messages being sent from an Airtel number issued to me. I told him in reply that I didn’t have a number as stated, but he would not accept my plea as my adhaar card allegedly was linked to the number. He informed me that the SIM was issued from a locality under Andheri West, Maharashtra. A long conversation took place to convince him that I had never been to Maharashtra, but to no avail. Anyway, he advised me to lodge a complaint with cyber police, Andheri West, and get a copy of the report sent to TRAI in two hours, failing which other numbers belonging to my name would be blocked. The rest went ahead as planned.

The ‘cyber police’ extorted from me everything about me and the members of my family, one after another, under threat. And, finally, she seemed to believe that I was, in fact, a victim. I was given to believe that the inquiry was about to end sans one last scrutiny. He read my adhaar number loudly to inform someone over walky-talky with a request to verify my background. The verifier sounded that I have a criminal background and am presently a suspect in a money laundering case. That I have an ICICI bank account in Maharashtra, through which 2.6 crores was sent to a foreign country to earn a commission of 26 lakhs rupees. The scripted allegation sent shivers down my spine at once.

The inquiry that began with a SIM card soon landed me in unprecedented trouble. It took no time ?to call me a suspect in a money laundering case and also to start questioning me by ‘imposters’, one after another. Questioning took place for two and a half hours at a stretch. They were unwilling to leave me for lunch, but as I grew furious, they gave me a brief time to eat, but on condition that soon after taking my meal I would call them for further questioning.

During the questioning, I gave scanned copies of my photo, my adhaar card, selected information about my bank transaction, screen shots of my digital payments, and the bank balance. Interestingly, the moment I refused to send them the screen shot of my bank balance, they alleged that I was not cooperating with the police and therefore an arrest warrant was issued against me.

Before I sent them the screenshot of my bank balance, I took an opportunity to get my money transferred to my son’s account. Still some money remained, which was later withdrawn from the ATM.

After I had taken lunch, I got further calls from the imposters. I assured them that I would cooperate with them only after consulting the authorities concerned. This angered them; they asked me to surrender in the local police station. They informed me that they would soon send the arrest warrant to the local police, who would arrest me and make the needful to send me to Maharashtra.

I am not as gullible as I appeared in this case. But assault was so grievous that I got little chance to be myself. Cyber fraud has become very rampant. Fraudsters inflict on persons tremendous and sudden pain, and it is very hard for many to bear.