Scam Alert: Gurgaon Man Falls Victim To Online Fraud, Loses Rs 24 Lakh To Fake Police Call

For millions of individuals worldwide, financial transactions are now more convenient thanks to online payments. However, there is a chance of fraud and scams, so people need to be cautious when employing this convenience. Cybercriminals are continuously on the hunt for opportunities to steal people’s hard-earned money. Recently, unidentified cyber thugs tricked a man from Gurgaon out of Rs 24 lakh by assuming the identity of police agents and purporting to be looking into a courier that was sent in his name that contained “illegal goods and drugs.”

Police told PTI that the accused — disguised as police officials — had made a video call under false pretences of conducting an investigation and had allegedly transferred money after obtaining the victim’s bank account information. An FIR has been filed at the Cyber East Police Station.

In his complaint, Sector 40 resident Shashank Yadav stated that he got a call lately from someone identifying himself as a courier business employee and saying that the package sent in his name included “illegal goods and drugs.”

“The cyber thugs, posing as police officers, talked to me through video calls and took information related to my accounts and online transferred a total of Rs 24 lakh in several transactions in the name of security,” he mentioned.

According to Yadav’s allegation, the accused had promised to refund his money, but they switched off their phones once the money was sent. That’s when he knew he had been duped.

This is not an isolated incident of cyber fraud, as incidents are increasing at an alarming rate. Almost once or twice a week, an unwary individual falls victim to these thugs. According to a recent study that polled cybercrime experts worldwide, India placed 10th in terms of cybercrime, with the most prevalent form being scams requiring individuals to make advance fee payments.

The World Cybercrime Index was developed by an international group of experts and published in the journal PLoS ONE. It evaluates about 100 countries and identifies key hotspots based on several categories of cybercrime, including fraud, ransomware and credit card theft. It was discovered that India was a “balanced hub” that “specialised” in mid-tech crimes.