Navi Mumbai: Man cheated of Rs 32 lakh in online fraud

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A 53-year-old man from Navi Mumbai area was cheated of Rs 32.63 lakh by unidentified persons in an online fraud, police said on Friday, reported news agency PTI.

The fraudsters, who contacted the complainant last month, asked him to carry out simple online 'tasks' for lucrative remuneration, an official of Navi Mumbai cyber police, reported PTI.

They also asked him to transfer money to different accounts. The complainant ended up transferring a total of Rs 32,63,352 before realising that he was being taken for a ride, reported PTI.

After he lodged a complaint on Wednesday, the cyber police registered an FIR for cheating under IPC section 420 and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and further probe is on, the official told PTI.

In another case, the police in Maharashtra's Thane city have arrested two persons for their alleged role in a financial crime that involved breaching the system of a payment gateway service provider and siphoning off more than Rs 16,180 crore, an official said on Friday, reported PTI.

The police on Thursday arrested Anup Dubey (26) of Bhayander, and Mumbai resident Sanjay Namdeo Gaikwad (42), a partner in a firm, the official said.

According to the police, the fraud had been taking place for a long time, but it came to light after a complaint was lodged with the Srinagar police station about the hacking of the payment gateway system of the company in April 2023 and Rs 25 crore being siphoned off, reported PTI.

During the probe, the cyber cell team came across suspicious transactions of more than Rs 16,180 crore. The Naupada police in the city on October 6 registered a case against five persons under sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467, 468 (forgery), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) and provisions of the Information Technology Act, reported PTI.

As per the FIR, one of the accused, named Jitendra Pandey, earlier worked for 8 to 10 years with banks as a relationship and sales manager, reported PTI.

The police suspect there may be many players in this mega racket, which has been going on for long, and may have pan-India ramifications affecting several companies and individuals, the official said.

The police had earlier said that the accused allegedly set up several partnership firms on bogus documents to launder the amount.

As many as five partnership firms were set up by the accused, and transactions to the tune of Rs 16,180 crore were revealed after the inspection of 260 bank statements, police had said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)