Father files missing daughter complaint in police station, Online scammers get alert!

New Delhi: Someone’s pain is someone else’s gain! These famous sayings fit aptly in the criminal world.

A shocking case emerged in the national capital where a businessman filed a missing complaint of his 18-year-old daughter in Delhi’s Burari Police station on Tuesday morning and within few hours he received a call from an alleged online scammer, who said that he is calling from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, and he had seen the missing girl with a ‘fraud guy’.

The depressed father firstly hesitated but then continued to speak to the person and took the chat further. The man on the other side started giving details to the businessman about how the girl looks and what all she is carrying and even said that his number has been shared to him by his daughter only, who is under the influence of some cheater.

That made the father convinced. However, the situation took a new turn as the person started asking money from him, saying that he doesn’t have a single penny and just wants to give shelter to the girl in a nearby hotel and also emphasised to not tell anything to police for his daughter’s safety.

The father, without thinking much or say under fear, transferred the amount to the shared barcode. And as the money got transferred, the scammer immediately switched off his phone. The victim on the other side keeps calling again and again, but to no use.

This made things suspicious and he ran to police station asking how it happened and how the details of his daughter is with another person? The police officer allegedly replied: “Whenever, we put any missing complaint online, the fraudsters get details from there and make such calls that we have seen your girl with some guy.”

Getting more details on the matter, IANS spoke to a senior police officer, who on condition of anonymity, informed that such incidents are very common nowadays.

“We always tell people to not believe such calls and immediately speak to the police if any call they receive regarding the case. Why would a person who wants to help demand money or be afraid of the police? These scammers play with the emotions of the victim,” he said.

“We are trying to nab them and also alerting everyone.”

However, the question remains intact: how easy is it for fraudsters to take details from a police website? And what is the criteria to stop it?