Kerala bishop duped of Rs 15 lakh by cyber fraudsters posing as CBI officers

A Kerala bishop has been cheated of more than Rs 15 lakh by alleged cyber fraudsters who impersonated as the cyber police and told him that his account is linked a money laundering case.

The Keezhvaipur police have filed an FIR against the accused. Bishop Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, a former metropolitan of the Niranam diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, said he received a call on August 2 in which the caller-ID displayed ‘Mumbai Cyber’.

“The caller said my bank account was likely being misused by the accused in the money laundering case and that the case was being handled by the CBI,” Coorilos said after he registered a complaint with the Keezhvaipur police station

Digital custody

The bishop said he also received a video call after an hour and described what he saw on the call as an office with a CBI emblem and some officers. He was asked a series of questions about his bank accounts and deposits during the call.

The bishop said he was told by the people over the call that he was being put in ‘digital custody’ and that he would be presented online in court the next day in front of a judge. He revealed that he attended a ‘digital court hearing’ the next day and heard the voice of a ‘judge’ who asked him about his involvement in the case.

“I clearly told them that I have no connection to the money laundering case. I was told to declare my accounts and transfer the money in a secret service account, which is monitored by the Supreme Court. If I am found innocent, the case will be closed and the money sent back to my accounts. I thought if it helps my case, I should do as I am told and transfer Rs 13.3 lakh,” he said.

‘Court verdict’

He was then tricked by the fraudsters to send another Rs 1.7 lakh as he had recently ‘withdrawn’ the amount from the account.

The bishop said he also received documents of the supposed ‘court verdict’ with the seal of the judge as well as receipts for the money transferred to the so-called secret service accounts.

However, he suspected foul play when another person texted him on WhatsApp pretending to be a CBI officer and asked for Rs 2 lakh as a ‘gift’ for helping him out. Subsequently, he called a lawyer friend who informed him about a similar scam.