Mumbai Cyber Fraud: 59-Year-Old Retired KC College Professor Duped Of ₹10 Lakh By Fraudster Posing As Pension Officer; 1 Arrested From Haryana

Mumbai: A retired professor of K C College, who resides in South Mumbai was duped of ₹10 lakh by a cyber fraudster posing as a government pension officer.

The 59-year-old victim, Alok Ramdutt Tripathi, who lives alone near Babulnath Chowpatty, was tricked into revealing his banking details under the pretext of updating his pension account. The Gamdevi Police have registered an FIR in the matter, and one accused, identified as Javed Rana (40), has been arrested from Haryana.

According to Complainant Tripathi, who retired from K.C. College, the fraud occurred on April 11, 2025. Around 10:00 a.m., he received a call from mobile number. The caller introduced himself as ‘Tiwari’ from the Pay & Accounts Office and warned that Tripathi’s pension would be stopped if not updated immediately.

Tiwari then sent a fake pension file via WhatsApp, which appeared legitimate. Trusting the caller, Tripathi was instructed to open his SBI bank app and enter his UPI ID and password. He was then asked to visit an ATM, insert his debit card, and follow a series of steps under Tiwari’s remote instructions — including entering a number and his ATM PIN twice.

Soon after, Tripathi stepped out of the ATM due to crowding and noticed on his mobile phone that ₹1 lakh had been debited. When questioned, the fraudster told him to return home and promised that his pension file would be cleared. Once home, Tripathi discovered that a total of ₹10 lakh had been withdrawn from his bank account in three separate transactions.

Realizing the fraud, he immediately contacted bank’s Hughes Road branch to block the account and reported the incident to the National Cyber Helpline (1930) and Gamdevi Police Station.

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Based on Tripathi’s complaint, the police have registered an FIR under relevant BSN sections and cyber laws. One accused, named Javed Rana, has been taken into custody. Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other involved persons.