Navi Mumbai builder duped of Rs 60.6 lakh by cyber fraudster

Representational Image

A Navi Mumbai builder was allegedly duped by a cyber fraudster who impersonated him and tricked his office into siphoning off Rs 60.6 lakh, police said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.

Based on a complaint, the police on Saturday registered a case under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by personation), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Information Technology Act, an official said, reported PTI.

The complainant has alleged that his office received a phone call on March 6, during which the caller posed as him, got hold of his accountant's phone number and sent him a message on WhatsApp, senior inspector Gajanan Kadam said, reported PTI.

The unidentified accused, posing as the Navi Mumbai builder, sent the accountant bank details for an online transaction and asked him to transfer Rs 60.6 lakh, he said, reported PTI.

The accountant transferred the money without verifying the instructions with the builder in person, the official said, reported PTI.

The cyber police station is probing into the case, and no arrest has been made so far, he said.

In another case, a 27-year-old doctor of a civic-run hospital was allegedly duped of Rs 7.33 lakh by a cyber fraudster who posed as an officer of the Mumbai police, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI.

A case under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) and 465 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act was registered against the unidentified accused last week, the official said.

The complainant, Dr Blessy Esther, a senior doctor at KEM Hospital, alleged that she received a phone call from an unknown number on February 29, and the caller identified himself as an employee of a courier company, he said, reported PTI.

The caller informed the woman that the authorities at the Mumbai airport had intercepted a parcel in her name containing five passports, three credit cards, 140 gm of mephedrone pills, clothes and a laptop, the official said.

As per the complaint, the call was allegedly transferred to the cyber police, who questioned the doctor and when she denied knowledge about the parcel, asked her to lodge a police complaint, he said, reported PTI.

The accused, posing as a police official, also initiated a video call with the complainant, during which she noticed the Mumbai police logo, the official said.

During the video call, the doctor was informed that several fake bank accounts had been opened in her name, and the money was used to fund terror activities, he said.

According to the first information report (FIR), the accused also sent the complainant a letter on the letterhead of the deputy commissioner of police (cyber) with a forged signature of Navi Mumbai commissioner Milind Bharambe, and he informed her that she would receive intimation from the Reserve Bank of India, reported PTI.

The complainant received intimation from the RBI from an unknown phone number, which contained a code, and she was directed to deposit Rs 6.8 lakh with the bank so that the authorities could verify all her bank accounts, the official said.

The complainant was informed that the money would be returned to her within half an hour, he said.

The doctor transferred the amount to the bank account mentioned in the letter, and the accused again asked her to pay Rs 48,800 for filing affidavits in her name to give her a clean chit, the official said, reported PTI.

When the doctor did not receive the money back, she realised that she had been duped and approached the police, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)