Ludhiana businessman loses Rs 1 crore to cyber criminals

City industrialist Rajnish Ahuja was targeted by cyber criminals who duped him of Rs 1.01 crore. On the complaint of the victim, a case was registered against the unidentified suspects and further investigation was launched by the cyber police in the case.

Ahuja had got a WhatsApp call and the caller introduced himself as an employee of some global international courier company. The suspect told Ahuja that a courier dispatched by him containing 16 passports and 58 ATM cards was seized at the Delhi international airport. A person, Sanjay Singh, nabbed with the courier had admitted that Rs 38 crore received as extortion amount from someone was deposited in the bank account of Ahuja. Later, someone posing as a Delhi Police officer called Ahuja and said his arrest warrant had been issued and he would be arrested for sending the courier and receiving extortion money in his bank account.

The police said a fake arrest warrant was sent to Ahuja to intimidate and blackmail him. Fearing legal action, the man sent Rs 86 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, respectively, to bank accounts provided by the suspects. After receiving the complaint, the police seized the bank accounts to which the complainant had sent money and launched further investigation.

A few days ago, a city-based elderly man, Rakesh Khanna, was duped of Rs 11 lakh by a cybercriminal who posed as a representative from the a LPG gas cylinder booking firm. Meanwhile, cyber police station inspector Jatinder Singh said the public should avoid such calls and inform the cyber cell so that action could be taken against the suspects.