The Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police has filed a case against a cyber criminal for allegedly cheating a woman doctor out of Rs 4.5 crore in the national capital. The victim, identified as Dr. Poonam Rajput, fell victim to the scam orchestrated by the accused through Skype calls.
According to the police, the fraudster informed Dr. Rajput that her parcel, which was supposedly sent from Mumbai to Taiwan on April 21 via FedEx, had been seized. The scammer claimed that the parcel contained 140 gm of Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), along with the doctor’s passport, banking documents, and shoes.
The first call from the cyber criminal was received by Dr. Rajput on May 5. The doctor stated in her complaint that multiple individuals impersonated officials from Mumbai’s Andheri Police Station, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), customs authorities, Narcotics officials, and even a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). The fraudsters convinced the victim that her fixed deposits needed to be broken for seizure and verification since 23 accounts had been opened using her compromised KYC information, some of which were involved in money laundering.
To add credibility to their claims, the criminals sent a letter from the RBI and a complaint on the letterhead of the Mumbai Police to the victim. They also instructed Dr. Rajput to transfer the amount to the RBI for verification, assuring her that it would be returned once the process was completed.
The Delhi Police is currently working on tracing the Skype calls and identifying the individuals behind the scam. A case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents), 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation of offense), 170 (impersonating a public servant), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
The investigation into this fraudulent scheme is ongoing as authorities gather more evidence and work to apprehend the culprits.