A woman from Canacona, Goa, was defrauded of Rs 3 lakh by scammers who posed as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). According to the Canacona police, the woman lodged a complaint describing how the fraudsters tricked her into transferring the large sum of money via RTGS in order to obtain a supposed "clearance certificate" from the CBI.
The scammers informed the woman that a phone number registered in her name had been used for illegal activities, including human trafficking. To make the scam appear legitimate, the fraudsters sent her a WhatsApp message claiming that illegal bank transactions had been carried out using her identity. They then gave her two options: either to visit the Delhi Crime Branch or to pay online to receive the clearance certificate. They threatened that, without the payment, her bank accounts and mobile number would be frozen by the CBI, and she would need to appear in person to resolve the situation through a legal process.
Fearing the consequences, the woman made the payment, only to realize later that she had fallen victim to a scam. The Canacona police are now investigating the matter and have urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid falling for such fraudulent schemes.