In a shocking incident, a Tamil Nadu resident allegedly fell victim to an online scam that falsely promised him prize money worth crores from the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). According to information released, the victim, identified as Murugesan from Erode in Tamil Nadu, was duped of Rs 2.91 lakh under the pretext that he had won prize money of Rs 5.6 crore from the popular show KBC, but had to pay the nominal charges labeled as “multiple tax obligations” to access the purported winning amount.
The victim said that, to manipulate him into paying, the fraudsters also used the prime minister’s image on “official documents,” thus prompting the PMO to register the case with the CBI.
How the forgery transpired
According to the FIR filed by the CBI, the victim claimed he was allegedly approached by two fraudulent IDs claiming to be “KBC Mumbai” and “KBC Kolkata” via his social media handle. In the FIR, he stated that the fraudsters claimed he had won substantial sums in the hit TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati. While he said the KBC Mumbai handle informed him that he had won prize money worth Rs 25 lakh (which was later raised to Rs 5.6 crore), he mentioned that, simultaneously, KBC Kolkata also told him of a Rs 75 lakh win before inflating it to Rs 2.75 crore.
The FIR stated, to facilitate the scam, the fraudsters later asked the victim to pay Rs 2.91 lakh in installments via multiple payment platforms, claiming it was required as “multiple tax obligations” if he wants access the purported winnings amount.
The scammers used a fake identity card under the name Nandini Sharma, posing as a special officer from the CBI in Kolkata. They also allegedly manipulated the prime minister’s image on “official documents” to compel him to transfer money repeatedly in pursuit of his fictitious lottery prize, the FIR also stated
CBI registered a case
As soon as the case came to light, where the prime minister’s images were used to deceive people, the Prime Minister’s Office escalated the complaint to the CBI, which later registered the case. An investigation into the case is currently underway.
