Retired Employee Duped by Fake Delhi Police Call Leads to ₹29.17 Lakh Loss in Hyderabad

A 63‑year‑old retired employee from Hyderabad fell victim to a sophisticated scam that resulted in a loss of ₹29,17,668. The fraudsters posed as officials from several law‑enforcement agencies and demanded payment to avoid a fabricated arrest.

On 3 March 2025 the victim received a phone call from individuals claiming to represent authorities. They warned him of a fabricated money‑laundering case involving ₹6.8 crore and threatened to imprison him unless he complied.

The scammers sent forged documents to make their threats appear legitimate, then extracted the victim’s personal information and banking details. They promised to return the money after a “verification” process and forced the victim and his daughter to transfer the full amount into several bank accounts.

After the money was not returned, the victim approached the police. The case was lodged under the Information Technology Act and several sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with cyber‑crime, extortion and money‑laundering.

Police investigations revealed that two men, Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain and Ahmad Najib Uddin, were responsible for arranging the bank accounts and moving the money. A third conspirator, a Bengaluru resident named Sachin, remains at large. The trio allegedly used the proceeds to purchase USDT cryptocurrency, which was later sold for Indian rupees.

The suspects reportedly faced economic difficulties and were introduced to Sachin through WhatsApp. Sachin’s plan involved distributing the stolen funds across multiple accounts to obscure the money trail, while Ashfaq collected account details from Najib and passed them to Sachin. The money was subsequently withdrawn via cheques and cash‑deposit machines.