Thane Man Duped of ₹59 Lakh by Scammers Posing as Customs and CBI Officials

A 54-year-old man from Thane, Maharashtra, lost ₹59 lakh in a scam where fraudsters pretended to be Customs and CBI officials. The scammers threatened him with fake legal charges, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering, to extort money.

The incident happened between November 26 and December 2. The victim got several calls from someone claiming to be a Customs officer in Delhi, saying a parcel in his name had been seized with drugs inside and that the case was being handed over to the CBI.

Later, another caller pretending to be a CBI official told the victim his name was linked to serious crimes and demanded ₹59 lakh to “clear his name” and avoid legal trouble. Fearing the consequences, the victim transferred the money to the bank accounts they provided.

After realizing it was a scam, he reported the crime to the police. A case has been registered under the IPC and IT Act, and the police are investigating to find the fraudsters.

Scammers are using new tricks to fool people, often using technology like AI to target victims. They send fake job offers to fresh graduates, threaten middle-aged people with legal trouble, or trick retirees into sharing financial details by pretending to update their KYC.