Delhi Man Loses Rs 10 Lakh in Fake ATS Scam Linked to Pulwama Attack
A 32-year-old Delhi man was duped of Rs 10 lakh by fraudsters posing as Uttar Pradesh ATS officers. He was falsely accused of involvement in the 2019 Pulwama attack and coerced into transferring money via threats and forged documents. The police have registered an FIR and are investigating the case.
A 32-year-old resident of Karol Bagh, Delhi, was defrauded of Rs 10 lakh by cybercriminals impersonating officers of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS). The scammers contacted him in August, falsely accusing him of involvement in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and claiming that Rs 50 lakh had been deposited in a bank account opened in his name in Kashmir. They warned him to keep the matter secret, citing involvement of influential people. The fraudsters manipulated the victim through video calls, appearing in police uniforms with ATS insignia, and instructed him to lock his room and not inform family members. They obtained his bank details and connected him to a person posing as the ATS chief, who threatened him with arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act if he did not transfer funds to an RBI-approved account. The victim was sent a fake RBI letter and transferred Rs 8.9 lakh via RTGS and the rest via Paytm. When he refused to pay an additional Rs 4 lakh for 'bail', the scammers disconnected. The FIR was registered on October 14, and police are investigating the case.
