In a distressing case of cyber fraud, Swami Supradiptananda, the secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, fell prey to a meticulously orchestrated scam that led to a financial loss of ₹2.52 crore. The fraudulent operation spanned 26 days, beginning on March 17, 2025, and continued until April 15, 2025.
The scam involved cybercriminals posing as police officers from Nashik, Maharashtra, who falsely accused the monk of being involved in a money laundering case. To sustain their ruse, the fraudsters maintained continuous video call contact with the victim—a tactic designed to instill fear, exert pressure, and gain his trust.
Under this fabricated pretense, the criminals coerced Swami Supradiptananda into transferring substantial sums to 12 different bank accounts across the country. They assured the monk that the funds would be returned by April 15, 2025, but when this promise was not fulfilled, the victim filed an official complaint with the police.
The Gwalior Crime Branch quickly acted on the complaint, registering a First Information Report (FIR) and transferring the case to the Cyber Police Station. Authorities are now conducting a full-fledged investigation to trace the culprits and recover the stolen funds.
ASP Niranjan Sharma, confirming the development, stated, "A case has been registered at the Cyber Police Station. The victim received a call claiming to be from the Nashik Police. He was told his name had come up in a money laundering case. The fraudsters gained his trust, took his Aadhaar details, and gradually extorted about ₹2.5 crore by intimidating him."
Officials suspect the fraud may be part of a larger interstate or even international racket. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility of additional victims or accomplices being involved.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing sophistication of cyber scams. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant, verify the identity of any callers claiming to be officials, and avoid sharing sensitive information such as Aadhaar or financial credentials over phone or video calls.
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