Textile industrialist and Chairman of the Vardhman Group SP Oswal was reportedly swindled out of Rs 7 crores after a cybercrime gang posed as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and staged a fake virtual courtroom, with one of them impersonating Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud.
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NEW DELHI: In a shocking case of cybercrime, prominent textile industrialist and Chairman of the Vardhman Group, SP Oswal, became the victim of an elaborate scam in which he was swindled out of Rs 7 crores.
A cybercrime gang posing as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) staged a sophisticated virtual courtroom, even impersonating Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, in order to execute the fraud.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the scammers accused Oswal of involvement in a money laundering case allegedly linked to Naresh Goyal, the founder of Jet Airways, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in September of the previous year.
These fraudsters, masquerading as CBI officers, further accused Oswal of using his Aadhaar for illegal activities, including sending a parcel to Malaysia containing fake passports and debit cards. To intensify the pressure, they issued fake arrest warrants to scare him.
Reports from The Times of India and Reuters revealed that the scam included a meticulously orchestrated fake Supreme Court hearing conducted via a Skype call, with one of the fraudsters pretending to be CJI DY Chandrachud. Oswal was also sent a fabricated, “duly stamped” Supreme Court order via WhatsApp, instructing him to deposit Rs 7 crores into a Secret Supervision Account.
Recalling the harrowing experience, Oswal told The Indian Express,
“During the fake Supreme Court hearing via Skype, they introduced the fake judge as Justice Chandrachud, though I could not see his face. But I could hear him talking and banging a hammer on the table. The written SC order was so perfect and stamped that I believed it to be genuine and transferred the amount.”
In addition to the fraudulent court proceedings, Oswal also received other falsified legal documents referencing the case, including one titled “Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud Vs Shri Paul Oswal.” His suspicions grew only after a senior colleague from one of his companies noted inconsistencies in the documentation when Oswal confided in him.
Upon realizing he had been duped, Oswal promptly approached the police, who launched an investigation into the scam. Fortunately, authorities have managed to recover Rs 5.25 crores of the defrauded amount and returned it to Oswal’s bank account.
Following the lodging of a first information report (FIR) on August 31, law enforcement officials identified the perpetrators as part of an inter-state cybercrime gang. In a significant breakthrough, two individuals were arrested in Guwahati with the assistance of the Assam Police. However, authorities continue their search for seven additional suspects, as the gang reportedly operates across Assam, West Bengal, and Delhi.
The Director General of Punjab Police took to social media to commend the police for their swift action, tweeting,
“Commendable work by @Ludhiana_Police in cracking an inter-state cyber fraud gang. Two persons have been arrested from #Guwahati, with the help of @assampolice, and seven more persons nominated. A recovery of Rs 5.25 crore, along with ATM cards and mobile phones, marks the largest-ever recovery in #India as per I4C data.”
This elaborate scam highlights the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals in India and the importance of vigilance, especially in cases involving sensitive legal matters. With investigations still ongoing, authorities are hopeful that they will apprehend the remaining suspects and bring the entire gang to justice.
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