Have you filed a cyber complaint and are waiting for your refund? If yes, you need to read this carefully.
A new scam is targeting victims who have already lost money to online fraud. These scammers don’t just stop at stealing once; they impersonate themselves as “cyber police” officers, promising to help you recover your funds.
The catch?
Before you get your refund, they demand a “verification fee.” And to make it look real, they use fake withdrawal slips, forged ID cards, and even Instagram pages pretending to be cyber departments.
This blog is based on a real case where a victim was almost tricked into paying ₹8,720 for account verification, after being told their recovered amount of ₹1,29,220 was on hold.
Let’s walk you through how this scam works, step by step.
How Scammers Used an Instagram Account to Fool People?
This all started from an Instagram ad on which Payal (name changed) clicked to submit details of the scam.
To look more authentic, the scammers directed the victim to Instagram accounts that looked like official cybercrime pages.
One had 16.6K followers and the handle cybercrime_helper. Another called itself the Swati Sharma with nearly 3K followers. Both used police-style logos, official-sounding bios, and posts warning against fraud — all while they themselves were running a scam.
Tp make this page look authentic, the scammer shared forged id card with the complete details and impersonated herself as cyber police.
At this point, it felt real. After all, who would think an account with thousands of followers and police insignia could be fake?
Fake Cyber Police Contacted on WhatsApp
Payal shared her details, and soon she received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number claiming that the “recovery” was successful and the money was waiting, but there was a catch.
They wrote:
“Ma’am aapka payment recover ho chuka hai… aapko bas apna account verify karwana hoga. Verification charge ₹8,720 hai, jo aapko aapke payment ke sath refund kar diya jayega.”
They even sweetened the deal: out of ₹8,720, only ₹50 would be deducted.
The remaining amount plus the withheld money would be instantly credited once the fee was paid.
The scammer kept sending messages and even called multiple times, making it sound urgent.
The victim asked them to connect on a video call to verify their IDs, to which they replied, “PC me video call nahi hota hai mam.”
When the victim hesitated, the pressure increased: “File cancel karwa lo. Aapko nahi dena hai toh payment hum rakh lenge.”
The scammers didn’t stop there. They sent a screenshot of a so-called “Cyber Crime Portal” showing names of other victims and their recovery statuses.
One person was shown as having ₹90,698 “transferred,” another with ₹1,25,821 “transferred,” and the victim’s own name appeared with ₹5,95,527 “recovered.”
It looked convincing, like some official tracking system. But it was nothing more than a fabricated image.
To seal the deal, the scammers also shared what looked like an official ID card and recovery letter — complete with government logos, seals, and officer names. These documents were forged to trick the victim into believing they were dealing with real cyber police officers.
Is this a Scam or a Psychological Trap
This scam is more dangerous than one can think.
In this situation, the victim is already in distress over losing money, and the fraudsters position themselves as the “solution.” They use urgency, authority, and fake visuals to corner their target into paying.
But here’s the truth:
- No genuine cyber police or government department asks for fees to recover funds.
- All cybercrime complaints in India are only handled on the cybercrime portal.
- Instagram pages and WhatsApp numbers are never official recovery channels.
How Can You Protect Yourself From Such Scams?
There is a saying – Better to be alert today than sorry tomorrow. It is therefore important to be more cautious even if you are facing difficult situation in your life to prevent yourself from something much bigger.
Follow the tips below to stay protected:
- Don’t pay anything. Once you pay, they’ll keep demanding more.
- Report the Instagram accounts. Use the “Report Account” feature.
- File a complaint on the National Cybercrime Portal
- Save all evidence — screenshots, chats, calls, numbers, and Instagram profiles — and file an FIR with the police.
Need Help?
Register with us and we will guide you with the process to report such issues with a proper draft & documentation on the respective platform and further to escalate the complaint, if required.
Final Word
The scammers in this case went to great lengths — building fake portals, fake IDs, even running Instagram pages with thousands of followers. But in the end, their goal was simple: to squeeze ₹8,720 from a victim under the guise of “verification.”
Always remember:
- If someone claiming to be cyber police asks you for money, it’s a scam.
- The only safe place to report cyber fraud in India is the official government portal.
Stay cautious, and don’t fall into their trap.
