A farmer from Nadala in Punjab’s Kapurthala district fell prey to a cyber scam and lost ₹11.75 lakh after receiving a distressing phone call falsely claiming that his son had been involved in a serious accident in Canada.
The victim, Joginder Singh Ghotra, shared that the call led to a deeply emotional and manipulative ordeal. While he was tending to his fields on the morning of May 13, his wife rang him in tears. She had received a call claiming that their son—who resides in Canada—had been in an accident that also left a Canadian citizen critically injured and in a coma.
Disturbed by the news, Singh immediately returned home. Not long after, the couple received a second call from the same person, who posed as a law enforcement or hospital official. The caller warned them not to contact their son, claiming his phone was with the police due to the ongoing investigation. Using a mix of fear tactics and urgency, the scammer convinced the couple that immediate financial help was needed to avoid legal trouble.
Overwhelmed and desperate, Singh ended up transferring ₹6.25 lakh from his Capital Bank account and an additional ₹5.5 lakh from another bank to the bank accounts the caller provided.
It wasn’t until later that night, when their son called from Canada as usual—completely safe and unaware of any accident—that the family realised they had been deceived.
The incident has been reported to the local cyber crime authorities, who have launched an investigation. Officials are urging the public to be cautious and verify any distressing or urgent information received via unsolicited phone calls—especially those involving money or personal safety.
