Maha: Woman doctor trying to order Covid-19 drug Actemra cheated of Rs 50000

Mumbai: A woman doctor attached to a multi-specialty hospital in Charni Road, Mumbai was cheated of Rs 50000 while trying to place an order for Covid-19 drug Actemra.

According to a recent media report in Free Press Journal, the 57-year-old doctor had been asked to order Actemra injections, however, the number given for ordering was that of a fraud, who duped her of Rs 50,000 in the name of advance payment without delivering the medicine.

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The police stated that after the stock of Actemra injections was finished, the doctor was given a number of a Pune-based firm to place an order of the same. Upon calling the number, a person named Abhishek Sharma claiming to be the representative of a Pune-based firm took the call. He asked her to pay an amount of Rs1.80 lakh for an order of 13 Actemra injections.

The doctor clarified that she would send the money only after receiving the order. However, the fraudster insisted on getting paid in advance, sending her copies of invoices through WhatsApp to sound convincing. The doctor initially paid an amount of Rs.10000 and eventually an amount of Rs 40000 upon further being pressed by the man.

Following the non-delivery of the ordered medicines to the hospital within the next few days, the hospital authorities contacted the firm directly. The firm told them that neither did they receive any order nor any form of advance payment. They told the doctor to file a complaint with the police.

A case was registered with the VP Road police. An officer from the station told Free Press Journal, "We have registered an offense of cheating along with section 66C (identity theft) and 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resources) of the Information Technology (IT) and investigation is underway."

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