Bengaluru
In a distressing incident, a fraudulent scheme targeted Debashis Das, a resident of L&T South City, Mico Layout, extracting ₹1.52 crore from him under the guise of an alleged drug export conspiracy linked to Mumbai’s cyber crime police. Das fell prey to imposters posing as representatives from FedEx Courier Company, alleging a shipment in his name containing passports, credit cards, and drugs. The deception involved false claims of an FIR filed by Mumbai’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), prompting Das to file a complaint with the Andheri Cyber Crime Branch as advised. Engaging in a video call arranged by the scammers, Das encountered a person masquerading as Inspector Pradeep Sawant of Andheri Cyber Crime Station, who presented counterfeit credentials. The scheme escalated as the fraudsters obtained Das’s Aadhaar card and personal documents under the guise of assisting him in clearing his name from fabricated allegations. Consequently, Das was coerced into transferring ₹1.52 crore to three bank accounts opened by one Islam Mallik, purportedly for money laundering charges fabricated against him. The perpetrators convinced Das that the RBI would refund the transferred amount post case resolution, exploiting his trust and panic in the fraudulent transaction. The abrupt disconnection of contact after the transfer alerted Das to the deception. Realizing the elaborate hoax, Das reported the incident to authorities, recognizing the deceitful ploy executed by the fraudsters. The police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations into the distressing cyber scam.
