• Impersonation of Judiciary & Law Enforcement: Fraudsters pretended to be officials from the Supreme Court of India, including impersonating the Chief Justice.
• Fake Virtual Courtroom Setup: The scammers created a fake online court hearing to make the fraud appear legitimate.
• Psychological Manipulation & Coercion: The victim was accused of money laundering and pressured to comply under fear of legal consequences.
• Fraudulent Fund Transfers: Using threats of digital arrest, the victim was forced to transfer money to the fraudsters.

Indian Businessman Duped Through Fake Supreme Court Hearing

• Incident: S.P. Oswal, chairman of Vardhman Group, was defrauded of $830,000 by scammers posing as federal investigators.
  reuters.com
  
  • Impersonation of Authorities: Fraudsters contacted Oswal, accusing him of money laundering.
    
  • Staged Legal Proceedings: They orchestrated a fake online Supreme Court session, with an impersonator acting as Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
    
  • Coercion: Under threat of “digital arrest,” Oswal was instructed to transfer funds to a designated account.
    
• Outcome:
  
  • Arrests Made: Two individuals were apprehended, and $600,000 was recovered, marking a significant recovery in such fraud cases in India.

This modus operandi leverages the fear of legal repercussions to manipulate high-profile individuals into financial losses.