Mumbai Doctor duped of Rs 28 lakh by Fake Irish Surgeon on LinkedIn

Mumbai: In another case highlighting the escalating threat of cybercrime, a female doctor allegedly lost Rs 28 lakh after trusting a cyber fraudster who posed as an Irish oncologist-cum-plastic surgeon on LinkedIn. 

The scam began in June last year when the doctor, a 57-year-old single mother was contacted on LinkedIn by an individual who introduced himself as Jose Fernandes alias Santino, a divorced oncologist-cum-plastic surgeon from Ireland. 

Also read- Gurugram Doctor Duped Of Rs 50 Lakh On Pretext Of High Returns On Foreign Currency Investment

Over the next several months, the doctor and Fernandes communicated extensively on WhatsApp. The fraudster shared details about his life, including a story about being a single father to a seven-year-old child creating an emotional bond. According to the police, the fraudster indirectly proposed to her after gaining the trust of the doctor, TOI reports. 

However, it took a drastic turn when the fraudster's accomplice, posing as a customs official at Delhi International Airport, contacted the doctor. The accomplice claimed that Santino had been detained for carrying undeclared foreign currency worth Rs 8 lakh and needed assistance to pay customs charges to release the money.

Believing the accused, the doctor transferred Rs 28 lakh to various bank accounts on his direction. However, the doctor soon realised that she was duped and approached the cyber police station in Navi Mumbai. 

The police have registered a case against the duo accused in this case and an investigation is underway. 

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that in another cyber fraud case, a Gurugram-based doctor was allegedly cheated of Rs 50 lakh by a woman who promised high returns in a foreign currency investment. The doctor working at the surgical oncology department at a hospital in Gurugram lost money after he fell victim to a fraudster who claimed to provide financial advice and high returns on investment in foreign currencies. 

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