Four cheated of Rs 15.97 lakh by cyber fraudsters using ‘drug in parcel’ modus operandi

In the first incident, a 27-year-old resident doctor of a hospital in Parel lost Rs 7.33 lakh between February 29 and March 1, the official said.

Mumbai: Four persons, including a doctor at a civic run hospital, were duped to the tune of Rs 15.97 lakh in four separate incidents by cyber fraudsters, a Mumbai police official said on Friday.

The incidents took place in Bhoiwada, Shivaji Park and Dadar areas in central Mumbai between February 29 and March 6, the official added.

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In the first incident, a 27-year-old resident doctor of a hospital in Parel lost Rs 7.33 lakh between February 29 and March 1, the official said.

“On February 29, she got a call from a man posing as a courier service staffer who claimed mephedrone had been found in her parcel for Taiwan. The victim denied sending any such parcel. She was first made the speak to another staffer posing as customer care and then to a man who posed as a cyber crime official,” he said.

“She was told to file a complaint and was asked to download a link. A video call was made to her from an ID which showed Mumbai Crime Branch logo by a man wearing a police uniform. This man told the victim her Aadhaar card details were used to open bank accounts in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Goa, which were used for terror funding,” the official said.

The fake police official told she was arrested “digitally” and then asked her to send Rs 1 lakh to a particular bank account and to book a hotel room, which she did.

“She spoke from this hotel room to the fraudsters on video call. She was sent a bank letter and told to deposit Rs 6.84 lakh, which the fraudsters said would be refunded once all her financial transactions are checked. She was made to deposit another Rs 48,000,” he said.

Realising she had been duped, the victim approached Bhoiwada police station on Thursday, after which a case was registered, the official said.

“In the second incident, a 55-year-old senior accounts official staying in Dadar was cheated of Rs 4.83 lakh on March 2 by fraudsters who said a parcel of his to Russia contained drugs and had been detained at the airport.,” he said.

In the third incident, a 56-year-old investment management advisor was cheated of Rs 1.73 lakh by cyber fraudsters with the same modus operandi about a parcel to Iran getting intercepted, the official said.

On March 6, a 47-year-old woman was duped similarly of Rs 2.08 lakh, he added.