A 54-year-old man from Thane, Maharashtra, lost Rs.59 lakh to cyber fraudsters who posed as Customs and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, threatening him with criminal charges. The incident, which occurred between November 26 and December 2, began when the victim received multiple phone calls from an individual claiming to be a Customs officer from Delhi.
The caller informed the victim that a parcel in his name had been seized and that drugs had been found inside it. He further claimed that the case was being transferred to the CBI for further investigation. The fraudster then connected the victim to someone posing as a “CBI official,” who accused him of being linked to serious crimes such as human trafficking and money laundering. To avoid legal consequences and clear his name, the victim was instructed to pay ₹59 lakh.
Frightened, the victim transferred the money into bank accounts provided by the scammers. However, after the transaction, he realized he had been duped and immediately reported the matter to the police.
Following the victim’s complaint, the police registered a case under various sections of the new penal code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by impersonation) have been invoked in the case. The police are currently investigating the scam.
 officials, threatening him with criminal charges. The incident, which occurred between November 26 and December 2, began when the victim received multiple phone calls from an individual claiming to be a Customs officer from Delhi.){kind=link}