Cybercrime: Woman Loses Rs 21.88 Lakh in Elaborate Phone Scam
A resident of 6th Mile Tadong, Gangtok, has fallen victim to a sophisticated cybercrime scheme, resulting in a loss of Rs 21.88 lakh from her accounts at ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, and Federal Bank. The incident was brought to light after the victim filed a complaint with the Ranipool Police Station.
According to the FIR, the fraudulent activity commenced on June 13 when the victim received a call from an unknown number (9356056889), purportedly from Fedex courier services. The caller falsely claimed that a package, attributed to her, containing expired passports, credit cards, clothes, and illegal substances, was destined for Iran. Upon refuting any involvement, the call was escalated to individuals posing as officials from the Mumbai Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau, who contacted her through Skype.
The impersonators, identifying themselves as Pradeep Sawant and others from the Mumbai Police Department, utilized convincing tactics including authentic-looking IDs and references to official websites. They coerced her into disclosing her bank account details and subsequently transferring funds to an RBI account under the guise of “verification procedures.” This led to four separate transactions totalling Rs 21,88,000.
Upon realizing the deception, the victim promptly reported the incident to the police on June 15, 2024. The case has been registered under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 66D of the IT Act. Investigators are currently pursuing bank transaction records and KYC documents to advance their investigation into the matter.
