Lucknow: A retired Army officer was defrauded of over Rs 15.63 lakh in a cyber fraud case involving impersonation, social media manipulation, and a fake immigration emergency linked to a foreign national.According to a complaint submitted to the Cyber Crime Police Station in Lucknow, Major General (Retd), a resident of Rail Nagar under Aashiana police limits, stated that the fraud took place on Dec 15, 2025.Tiwari, who retired from the Army on Oct 1, 2025, is currently working with a private firm in Gomti Nagar.In his complaint, the officer said he recently reconnected via Instagram with a woman he knew during his visit to New York in 2012–13 at the United Nations headquarters. The woman, identified as “Nicole Anderson”, claimed to have arrived at Mumbai airport from the United Kingdom. On the day of the incident, the complainant received a call from a woman identifying herself as an “immigration officer”, who informed him that Anderson had been detained at the airport due to incomplete documentation related to a demand draft she was carrying.The caller claimed that while part of the penalty was paid in cash, additional funds were urgently required to clear legal formalities. After confirming with the purported foreign national over the phone, the ex-officer transferred money in multiple tranches to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters, believing it to be necessary for immigration clearance and documentation.The complainant later realised he was deceived when no further contact could be established.Tiwari subsequently lodged a complaint at the Daaliganj Cyber Crime Cell and also at the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
