How retired Delhi engineer falls prey to 'banned medicine' scam, loses Rs 10 crores
A 70-year-old retired engineer from Rohini, Delhi, was scammed out of Rs 10.30 crore in a ‘sophisticated’ cyber-fraud. According to police, the victim, an alumnus of a prestigious college who had held senior positions in several companies, received a call from fraudsters claiming a courier had been delivered in his name.
The caller, posing as a delivery agent, informed the victim a parcel containing banned medicines from Taiwan had been sent to him. He was told an FIR would be filed against him unless he followed certain instructions. The fraudsters then threatened the victim, saying he needed to lock himself in a room and sit in front of his mobile or laptop camera.
The victim complied and a person impersonating a Mumbai Police officer spoke to him, offering to help resolve the matter. In the guise of assisting him, the fake officer convinced the victim to transfer Rs 10.30 crore into a bank account. The money was then swiftly moved by the fraudsters to different accounts.
Realising he had been scammed, the victim contacted the police for assistance. The case was transferred to the cybercrime unit, which has managed to freeze Rs 60 lakh of the stolen amount. The police said investigations are ongoing to track down the remaining funds and identify those responsible for the scam.