Nagpur: In an alarming development that underscores the evolving tactics of cyber criminals, a disturbing new trend has emerged wherein unsuspecting individuals are targeted through the impersonation of their relatives’ names and voices.
A recent case involves a 29-year-old female project assistant employed at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), who fell victim to this scheme, losing thousands of rupees in the process. The Bajaj Nagar police have taken cognizance of the incident, launching an investigation into the matter.
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25 April 2025
The incident came to light on July 16, when the victim received a call on her mobile phone from a cyber criminal skilled in convincingly impersonating her uncle, Kailas. The imposter’s ability to mimic the voice and mannerisms of her relative led the victim to lower her guard and trust the caller’s authenticity. The criminal, posing as her uncle, proceeded to weave a web of deception, promising to transfer an impressive sum of Rs 2.5 lakh to her account via Google Pay.
Under the criminal’s instruction, the victim was guided to tap a payment request from a contact named “Ushabai.” Believing herself to be interacting with her uncle, the woman initiated a transaction amounting to Rs 25,000. Regrettably, the funds were swiftly transferred from her account to an account linked to “Ushabai,” but the promised Rs 2.5 lakh never materialized.
As the realization of the fraud dawned upon her, the victim’s subsequent attempts to establish contact with the impersonator were met with frustration, as his mobile phone appeared to be switched off. This unfortunate turn of events prompted the victim to report the incident to the authorities, leading to the registration of a case by the Bajaj Nagar police under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
