Scammers forge Nirmala Sitharaman's signature, dupe Pune woman of Rs 99 lakh: Report
New Delhi: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, scammers forged the signature of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on a fake arrest warrant to swindle a 62-year-old retired LIC officer from Pune of nearly Rs 99 lakh, according to a report by India Today.
The fraud began in the last week of October when the victim, a resident of Kothrud, received a call from a man claiming to represent a “Data Protection Agency.” He alleged that her Aadhaar-linked mobile number had been misused for fraudulent financial transactions.
The call was soon transferred to another person, who introduced himself as a senior police officer named George Mathew. During a video conversation, the impersonator accused her of money laundering and warned that her bank accounts would be frozen. To make the threat appear legitimate, the scammers sent her a forged arrest warrant bearing Sitharaman’s fake signature and what appeared to be an official government seal, according to the Pune City Cyber Police.
The fraudsters reportedly told the woman that, given her age, she would be placed under “digital arrest” and instructed her to transfer all her savings to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) accounts for “verification.” Believing the claim, she transferred Rs 99 lakh to multiple accounts that investigators later found were controlled by a cybercrime network operating from Thane.
To maintain credibility, the scammers even shared additional fabricated documents, including a fake Enforcement Directorate (ED) receipt. When the woman later tried to contact them, their phone numbers had been switched off. Realising she had been duped, she lodged a complaint with the Pune City Cyber Police.
Investigations are underway to trace the bank accounts and phone numbers used in the fraud. Officials said cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting public trust by misusing the names of legitimate government bodies like the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
A Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber) described the case as alarming, noting that the use of forged documents bearing signatures of senior ministers and top officials reflects a dangerous new trend. “These scams exploit public trust in official institutions. Citizens should verify any such communication directly with authorities before taking financial action,” India Today quoted the official as saying.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
