It began, like many scams do, with a phone call that sounded perfectly normal.
“Ma’am, this is regarding your father’s medical insurance policy. We noticed a discrepancy in the renewal process. If it’s not updated soon, the coverage will lapse.”
For Aarti (name changed), a retired professor from Sweden varsity, the call felt like a genuine heads-up.
Her father, an elderly man with ongoing health issues, relied on that insurance. The idea that his policy might be in jeopardy triggered every protective instinct.
“They were polite, professional. They even knew my father’s name, the insurer’s name, and policy details,” she later told the police.
The caller went on to explain that due to a “technical glitch” in the system, the policy hadn’t been renewed properly.
To secure the coverage, she’d need to pay a small reactivation fee. It seemed simple.
Aarti followed instructions, clicked a link they sent, and made the first transfer.
A Slippery Slope of Trust
What started with a ₹10,000 payment soon spiraled into a nightmare. The scammer kept calling, each time with a different reason.
“There’s a GST mismatch, ma’am. You’ll need to deposit ₹28,000 to validate the claim.”
“Ma’am, there’s a penalty due to delayed payment last year—₹56,000.”
“There’s a pending refund of ₹2.5 lakh, but we can only release it once the reactivation amount is cleared.”
Every transaction was couched in urgency, wrapped in technical jargon, and laced with reassurances.
Over a span of days, Aarti transferred money again and again—each time believing it was the last step.
Each time hoping she was just one payment away from resolving the issue and protecting her father’s coverage.
And then, the calls stopped.
Emails bounced. The website they had shared no longer loaded. When she called the actual insurance company, the answer shattered her.
“There is no issue with the policy, ma’am. And we haven’t made any such calls.”
By then, ₹11.93 lakh had already been siphoned off.
The Emotional Manipulation
What’s chilling is not just the amount, but the way the fraud was executed.
This wasn’t some amateur con with spelling mistakes and weird links.
The scam was executed with precision through a cloned website, legitimate-sounding staff, real-time responses, and a sense of customer service that could put real companies to shame.
“They didn’t rush me,” Aarti told investigators. “They gave me time to think, followed up with emails, and gave me documents. It all felt real.”
And that’s exactly how the scam worked, by imitating professionalism and leveraging what mattered most: a daughter’s desire to protect her father.
Mumbai’s Cyber Scam Epidemic
Sadly, this case is one of thousands. According to cybercrime officials, Mumbai has witnessed a staggering rise in online scams.
Between January and November last year, over ₹1,200 crore was lost to cyber crimes, marking a 350% increase from the year before.
Medical insurance scams are among the most emotionally charged. They prey on families, health fears, and the complexity of policy jargon. You think you’re helping, and before you realise, you’re in too deep.
How to Not Get Caught
Scams like these are a reality of our times, but there are ways to stay ahead:
- Always call back using official numbers: If someone says they’re from an insurer, disconnect and call the toll-free number from the company’s actual website.
- Don’t trust payment links over SMS/WhatsApp: Legitimate insurers rarely send links for large transactions. If they do, verify them independently.
- Red flags stack up: Multiple payments for odd reasons (penalties, tax mismatches, verification charges)? That’s a scam.
- Verify emails: Look carefully at sender addresses. Scammers often use domains that look legit but have small changes, like
.netinstead of.com. - Don’t panic-pay: Scammers thrive on urgency. Take a pause. Ask someone in your family, or contact the official support.
A Hard Lesson
Aarti’s story isn’t just a financial fraud—it’s a deeply emotional betrayal. She tried to do the right thing.
She trusted, she acted fast, and she paid the price. ₹11.93 lakh is not just money—it’s trust, safety, and the belief that systems are there to help us when we’re vulnerable.
And in the end, all she wanted was to make sure her father was covered in case of a medical emergency.
This scam took advantage of love, urgency, and blind faith in digital professionalism. It’s a story that could’ve happened to anyone.
If you’re reading this, maybe it’s time to call your parents, your siblings, and your spouse, and make sure they know what not to do when that unexpected call comes.
Because scams don’t just take money. They take away peace of mind. And sometimes, that’s even harder to recover.
