Bengaluru man loses ₹59 lakh in elaborate fake online courtroom scam: Report | Bengaluru

In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 59-year-old Bengaluru man, K J Rao, was scammed out of as much as ₹59 lakh by criminals who staged an elaborate fake online courtroom trial. Rao, who works as the head of litigation at a multinational company, became a victim of the fraud between September 12 and 13, The Times of India reported.

The ordeal began when Rao received an automated call while at work, warning him that his phone numbers would be blocked. The call was then transferred to someone claiming to be from the Mumbai crime branch, accusing him of being involved in money laundering, the report noted. Despite Rao knowing he had no connection to the accusations, the scammers intensified their act by making a WhatsApp video call. A man, dressed in a police uniform, appeared to be in a police station, adding to the deception, the publication stated.

When Rao offered to visit a local police station to resolve the issue, he was warned not to move and was told his case was being handled by the CBI. The fraudsters then took it a step further, staging a fake online courtroom session via Skype, the report added. They convinced Rao to transfer ₹59 lakh to multiple accounts, citing an alleged court order and Reserve Bank of India guidelines.

For over 24 hours, the scammers kept Rao under surveillance via Skype, not allowing him to sleep or contact anyone. After making the transfers, Rao realized he had been tricked and rushed to file a complaint at the Indiranagar police station, the publication further added. The police have since blocked his account and are working to trace the stolen funds.