Delhi Man Loses Rs 9.67 Lakh in Elaborate ATS Impersonation Scam Linking Him to Pulwama Attack

New Delhi: A 32-year-old resident of Delhi fell victim to an elaborate scam, losing over Rs 9 lakh to fraudsters who impersonated Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials and falsely accused him of involvement in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, police reported on Monday.

According to police records, the victim from Karol Bagh filed a case on October 14, describing how on August 13, he received multiple calls from unknown numbers. The callers fraudulently claimed that Rs 50 lakh had been deposited in a bank account created under his name in Kashmir.

In his complaint, the victim stated, "I received calls from three different numbers where the callers falsely accused me of being involved in the Pulwama Attack and alleged that Rs 50 lakhs had been credited to a bank account opened in my name in Kashmir."

The scammers warned the victim that the account was linked to his identification and insisted he maintain secrecy about their communication, suggesting that "influential persons" were implicated in the matter.

The fraudsters then instructed the victim to activate his camera, secure his room, and withhold information from his family members. They conducted a mock "interrogation," gathered his banking information, and connected him with another individual who claimed to be the ATS chief.

When the scammers directed the victim to travel to Lucknow for investigation purposes, he expressed his reluctance. Instead, they persuaded him to transfer money for supposed "fund legalisation" to an allegedly RBI-approved account. Fearing the threats, the victim transferred Rs 8.9 lakh through RTGS from his bank account and an additional Rs 77,000 via a UPI payment application.

Subsequently, the fraudsters presented a fabricated bail application and demanded an additional Rs 4 lakh for his "release." When the victim refused further payments, the callers terminated communication and deactivated their phones.

"I suffered a total loss of Rs 9,67,000 and experienced significant mental distress due to these unknown individuals' fraudulent activities," the victim reported to authorities.

Police registered a case under section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on October 14. Efforts are currently underway to locate the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds, according to a senior police officer.

In a similar scheme earlier, a 78-year-old retired banker from South Delhi lost nearly Rs 23 crore in a digital arrest scam between August 4 and September 4. The perpetrators in that case also threatened the victim with allegations of financing the Pulwama terror attack.

The Pulwama terror attack occurred on February 14, 2019, when an explosive-laden vehicle crashed into a convoy transporting CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of at least 40 jawans. Adil Ahmed Dar, a member of the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad, was identified as the attacker.