74-yr-old Mahim resident duped of ₹2.8L by cyber frauds
A 74-year-old Mahim resident was duped of ₹2.80 lakh by cyber frauds posing as CBI officers, claiming his son was arrested in the US. Police have frozen ₹1 lakh.
MUMBAI: A 74-year-old Mahim resident was duped of ₹2.80 lakh on Sunday by cyber frauds who posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and claimed that his son, who lives in the US, was arrested in a rape case and the money was required to secure his release. Police said the method adopted to extract money was relatively new, and likely involved the use of pre-recorded messages, usually generic cries for help, to instill fear in the victim.
The Mahim police have registered a case against unidentified frauds based on the 74-year-old’s complaint. They have also managed to freeze ₹1 lakh transferred by the victim to a bank account whose details were provided by the frauds.
According to the police, the complainant lives with his wife in Mahim while his 38-year-old-son works in an engineering firm in Pennsylvania. His brother too stays in Mahim and works as a real estate agent.
“On Sunday morning, at around 9am, the complainant’s wife got a call from a number whose profile picture was that of a policeman. The caller claimed that he was a CBI officer and told the complainant that his son had been arrested in connection with a rape case. He said the son could be freed as he had no direct role in the case, but officials would have to be bribed for that,” said a police officer from Mahim police station.
The complainant tried calling his son, but the call was not answered, likely because it was night in Pennsylvania and he was asleep. Apprehensive of his son’s safety, he decided to pay the ₹80,000 sought by the caller and transferred the money to the given mobile number via two UPI transactions, said the police officer.
“Subsequently, the complainant got another call wherein the so-called CBI officer claimed that though he had tried convincing his seniors, they were not agreeing to release his son unless he paid another ₹2.5 lakh,” said the police officer.
The complainant then called his younger brother and narrated the ordeal, following which they transferred another ₹2 lakh to the given mobile number via two transactions. All the transfers were made between 9am and 11am on Sunday.
As the brothers had exhausted their daily limit for UPI transfers, the complainant asked his employee to transfer the remaining ₹50,000, who suggested he call his son once again. This time, the son answered the call and said he was safe at home.
The complainant realised that he had been duped and immediately approached the Mahim police station, where a case was registered against unknown accused under sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by using computer resources) of the Information Technology Act. Police officials at Mahim also intimated the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and ₹1 lakh transferred by the complainant was freezed.
Police said the method adopted to extract money from the complainant was relatively new. “After sextortion scam, investment scam and FedEx courier scam, this is a new kind of scam. Most people targeted in such cases are those whose sons are either working or studying in foreign countries,” said a police officer.
In most such cases, frauds use a pre-recorded message wherein a person is seen/ heard crying for help.
“The messages are mostly generic cries for help. The frauds make sure that the voice is not very clear and there is disturbance and cheat people claiming their son/relative has been caught trafficking drugs or nabbed in a rape case,” said the police officer.
Cyber expert Ritesh Bhatia said the police need to create mass awareness about this new mode of duping people.
“The frauds use a generic voice that makes most people believe their relative is in trouble and they pay up the amount within a span of 2-3 hours,” said Bhatia. “But they must understand no policemen will ever ask for payment via UPI.”
Bhatia said those who receive such calls must report them at the nearest police station forthwith instead of paying up directly. “If the victims get proper guidance for 2-3 hours after they get a call, such frauds will stop and those behind them can be nabbed,” he said.
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