Retired Government Employee Duped of ₹21.5 Lakhs by Cyber Fraudsters Posing as ATS Officers

In a shocking incident, a 72-year-old retired government employee was scammed out of ₹21.5 lakhs by cybercriminals posing as ATS officers. The fraudsters threatened him with arrest and asset seizure, keeping him under constant surveillance through video calls. They coerced him into transferring money in multiple installments, claiming it would be returned shortly. The police have launched an investigation into the case after the victim's family reported the crime. This incident highlights the growing threat of cyber fraud targeting vulnerable individuals.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 7, 2025, 10:24 IST

Cyber Fraud Incident Involving Retired Employee

A retired government employee, aged 72, fell victim to cyber fraudsters who impersonated ATS officers, managing to extract ₹21.5 lakhs from him over a span of three days. This incident was reported by the police in Jabalpur on Saturday.

The victim, Avinash Chandra, resides in Napier Town. He received a phone call on December 1 from an individual claiming to be an ATS officer from Pune. The caller alleged that Chandra's bank account and Aadhaar number were linked to 'terror financing'.

The impersonated ATS officer sent Chandra several documents via WhatsApp and threatened him that failure to cooperate would result in his and his son's arrest, along with the seizure of their assets.

According to the police, Chandra was kept on video calls daily from 9 AM to 7 PM for three consecutive days. The fraudsters monitored his actions and prevented him from contacting anyone.

The scammers reportedly provided him with bank account details and coerced him into transferring money in three installments.

The police stated that the fraudsters claimed the funds would be held 'temporarily' and returned within six days. They also extracted information about his assets by threatening him with 18 years of imprisonment and hefty fines for non-disclosure. To gain his trust, they sent him what appeared to be forged documents from the Ministry of Defence.

When Chandra's family approached the cyber police to file a complaint, the fraudsters allegedly called again, stating that the money would not be refunded. The police have registered a case against unidentified suspects.