Senior Citizen Loses ₹2.82 Crore In Cyber Fraud After Falling For Deepfake Video Of Finance Minister
Mumbai: A 75-year-old retired Borivali woman allegedly lost Rs 2.82 crore in an investment scam advertised through a fake YouTube video featuring Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Pratibha Arunkumar Gokhale, a retired Hindustan Organic Chemicals employee living alone on L T Road, Borivali West, saw the video in February. It promised senior citizens high returns from international stocks,…
A 75-year-old retired woman in Borivali, Pratibha Arunkumar Gokhale, allegedly lost ₹2.82 crore in a cyber fraud after falling for a deepfake video of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The victim, who lived alone on L T Road, Borivali West, saw the video in February, which promised high returns from investments in international stocks, gold, silver, commodities and bonds.
Following this, fraudsters contacted her through Telegram and claimed to represent a Romania-based company called FirstECN. They initially gained her trust by discussing market updates and encouraging her to make further investments, promising profits despite fluctuations in the market. When she transferred funds through RTGS to multiple accounts, the fraudsters displayed purported profits on Telegram.
However, she only received a fraction of her promised returns. Her son Amol eventually recognized the fraudulent activity, leading her to report the case to the cyber helpline and the North Region Cyber Police Station.
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