Navi Mumbai doctor duped of Rs 26.52 Lakh by fraudsters posing as customs officials
Mumbai: A doctor from Navi Mumbai has fallen victim to a cyber fraud, losing ₹ 26.52 lakh to scammers who threatened to falsely implicate him in crimes such as money laundering and terrorism. According to police reports, the fraudsters behind the scam intimidated the doctor, claiming they had evidence linking him to illegal activities.
The criminals, posing as officials from various government agencies, warned the doctor that he would face severe legal consequences if he did not comply with their demands. Fearing the repercussions of being falsely accused of such heinous crimes, the doctor transferred the hefty sum to the scammers.
On August 26, the doctor, a resident of Ghansoli, received a call from individuals posing as customs officers. They told him he had sent a parcel to Dubai that contained objectionable goods, including police uniforms and drugs, said senior inspector Gajanan Kadam of Navi Mumbai's cyber police station, where a complaint was lodged by the victim, reports PTI.
The fraudsters also informed him that they were referring his case to a police station in Mumbai's Andheri area. The scammers claimed his bank account was linked to terrorist activities and that it contained laundered money, said Kadam, citing the complaint.
They threatened he would be arrested for sedition. The victim was coerced into transferring ₹ 26.52 lakh online to various bank accounts allegedly to settle the fabricated charges and clear the supposed money laundering issues, said the police officer.
However, the gang continued to demand more money. Realizing he had been scammed, the victim reported the fraud to the cyber police station. The police have registered an FIR against unidentified fraudsters under various sections of the Information Technology Act, and launched a probe to track down the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds, the inspector added.
