Coimbatore cybercrime probe after retired doctor duped of ₹98 lakh
COIMBATORE: Cybercrime police here have registered a case and launched an investigation after a 67-year-old retired government doctor was duped of ₹98 lakh in a sophisticated online scam in which fraudsters posed as law enforcement officers and placed the victim under a so-called ‘digital arrest’. Police said the incident illustrates a growing pattern of social-engineering frauds targeting elderly residents through messaging apps.
According to police sources, the scammers contacted the woman on WhatsApp claiming to be officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation and alleged that fraudulent transactions had been detected in her bank account. The fraudsters instructed her to transfer funds to accounts provided by them as part of a verification process, assuring a refund after checks were completed.
"The woman sent a total of ₹98 lakh to different accounts given by the fraudsters in multiple transactions, following which they cut all contacts with her," police said.
Following the complaint by the victim, officers of the Coimbatore city cybercrime unit registered a formal case and began tracing the money trail and the accounts to which the funds were routed. The investigation is ongoing, and police said they were coordinating with banks and other law-enforcement agencies to attempt to freeze and recover the diverted sums.
- Victim: 67-year-old retired government doctor, resident of Coimbatore
- Reported loss: ₹98 lakh transferred in multiple transactions
- Modus operandi: Scammers posed as CBI officers, used WhatsApp, alleged fraudulent transactions, instructed transfers for verification
Cybercrime officials highlighted that this case is part of a broader surge in online-cheating complaints in the city this year. The cybercrime police station in Coimbatore has received over 6,500 complaints of online cheating and recorded an aggregate reported loss of about ₹48 crore so far in the current year, authorities said.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Loss in this case | ₹98 lakh |
| Online-cheating complaints received (Coimbatore, year to date) | 6,500+ |
| Reported loss (Coimbatore, year to date) | ₹48 crore |
Police urged residents, particularly senior citizens, to exercise caution when receiving messages or calls claiming to be from investigative agencies or banks. Officers noted that official agencies do not request customers to transfer funds to private accounts for any form of verification or investigation.
Officials also advised the public to use the government portal for reporting cyber financial fraud — www.cybercrime.gov.in — or the toll-free number 1930 to lodge complaints and seek assistance in freezing suspected fraudulent transactions.
In recent months, the cybercrime unit has stepped up awareness drives in neighbourhoods and through social media to educate citizens about common red flags, including unsolicited messages, urgent requests to move money, requests for OTPs or banking credentials, and pressure to act quickly. Investigators said such scams increasingly combine impersonation of central investigating agencies with technical tactics to convince victims of authenticity.
The case has drawn attention from consumer and senior-citizen welfare circles in Coimbatore, where bank and mobile-banking penetration is high. Local advocacy groups said there is a need for targeted outreach in hospitals, clinics and retired government-servant associations to prevent similar losses.
Police said they are analysing call and chat records and coordinating with financial institutions to track the accounts used by the fraudsters. Additional details will be released as the probe progresses and when steps toward recovery or arrests are confirmed by investigators.
