Maharashtra: Medical equipment supplier loses Rs 1.3 crore to fraudsters
Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a city-based surgical and medical equipment supplier has recently been duped of Rs 1.3 crore by three persons, allegedly pretending to be employees of a Kenya-based company, Global Investment Consortium (GIC), under the pretext of supplying 1 lakh face masks.
As per a recent media account, the 37-year-old medical equipment supplier was keen on purchasing a rare-find variant of the N95 masks known as 3M N95. On April 24, he had issued an advertisement on a B2B website seeking supply of these masks.
In response to this, he immediately received an email from a man, who introduced himself as Peter Sen Kolb, the manager of a Kenya-based company, Global Investment Consortium (GIC). Kolb reportedly stated that 3M N95 masks the supplier was looking for were available with them.
Thereafter, the supplier sent his acquaintance to the registered address of the company in Nairobi, who inspected the goods and got back saying that the masks were available in large numbers. The person even met the owner of the company, Dr James Mubbuya, as per the complaint filed by the victim.
A deal worth Rs 1,36,67,766 for one lakh face masks was struck between the victim and the GIC. Coming down to the payment details, the fraudsters instructed the complainant to transfer the amount to their Jammi Bora Bank Limited account, which was under the name of Amadi and Associates Advocates. However, as due to a problem in sending the amount to the said account, the supplier was given another account number at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya.
Also Read: Online Fraud: Doctor Attempting To Buy Thermometers, Masks Duped Of Rs 74.57 Lakh
By June 11, the complainant deposited Rs 1.3 crore in the account. He was then informed by Klob that the order will be delivered via an Air France flight. The parcel was supposed to be dispatched on June 17 and delivered by June 20.
However, on June 17 on reaching out to Air France officials, the complainant was informed that their flight was not carrying any such parcel. Despite making several attempts to call the trio involved in the deal, their phones were found switched off.
Subsequently, it was understood that the supplier has been cheated by the three men who were later identified as Peter Sen Klob, Dr James Mubbuya, and David. Thereafter, a complaint was moved with the police. The three fraudsters were been booked under Section 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
Assistant Inspector Ravindra Patil told The Indian Express, "As the parcel did not reach Mumbai, the complainant waited for a few days and then submitted a complaint application by June-end. Following a preliminary investigation, a case was registered on Sunday."
