Cipla Foundation issues public alert against online fraudsters offering Remdesivir

Mumbai: Raising alarm against unscrupulous people, Cipla Foundation has issued a public cautionary notice citing the government directive for Remdesivir and Tocilizumab supply amidst the uncontrollable crisis triggering by demand for COVID drugs.

This came after a businessman from Khar was cheated of Rs 40,800 while purchasing Remdesivir injection for a relative by a man who posed as a Cipla Foundation employee.

In response to this and to combat this form of scam, the Cipla Foundation has released a public alert stating, "The Central Govt. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare/Department of Pharmaceuticals ordered an all-India supply of Remdesivir & Tocilizumob to be only through authorised Government & private hospitals. No individual, distributor or retailer con sell these medicines to the public."

Further, to prevent people from being conned, it added, "Please beware of unscrupulous fraudsters (falsely claiming as Ciplo authorized) offering supply basis advance online payments. Police are investigating & prosecuting offenders. If you are approached for such transactions, please do not transfer any funds and immediately notify your local police/crime cyber cell of such activity."

According to a Free Press Journal report, the incident took place in the last week of April, the time when the victim was desperately searching to obtain Remdesivir injections for a relative, according to the police.

While searching the internet for leads, the businessman happened to get the contact of the accused, who claimed to be a Cipla Foundation employee and promised to arrange for six vials of Remdesivir injections at a cost of Rs 20,400.

Accordingly, the businessman was instructed to make an online payment and assured that the injection vials would be delivered to his address by the accused. As a result, a payment of Rs 20,400 was provided to the accused, who said that the exchange had failed and requested that the payment be made again.

Following that, another transaction of Rs 20,400 was placed into the accused's account, which he refused to have received.

Suspicious of the repetitive transaction, the businessman immediately informed Khar Police and lodged a complaint on April 27. On the basis of the complaint filed by the businessman, police charged the unnamed suspect under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act for cheating and immediately approached the bank and froze the accused person's account.

Thereafter an investigation was conducted by the police and it was found that the accused opened a Patna-based bank account in the name of Cipla Foundation with false documents and into which a total of Rs. 13.37 lakh was deposited, of which Rs. 9.577 lakh was withdrawn.

Further, according to Gajanan Kabdule, senior inspector of Khar police station, police were able to freeze Rs 3.80 lakh in the account and are investigating the matter further. A preliminary investigation revealed that the accused used the same method to defraud a large number of people in Delhi and the northern parts of the country, the daily added.