Bengaluru techie loses Rs 2.24 crore to cyber fraudsters posing as Customs and NCB officials
Bengaluru, Apr 11: A 52-year-old software engineer has lost Rs 2.24 crore to the cyber fraudsters who swindled him by posing as Delhi Customs and Narcotics Control Bureau officials, police said on Thursday.
This incident comes close on the heels of a 29-year-old woman lawyer from Bengaluru losing Rs 14.57 lakh who ended up stripping on Skype video conference before the fraudsters.
The mode of operation adopted by the fraudsters to dupe Kumarasamy Sivakkumar from Jakkur was similar to the one faced by the woman lawyer.
The swindlers called the software engineer between March 18 to March 27 saying that they were from Customs Department and that an air parcel from Delhi to Malaysia in his name has been held back at Delhi Airport since it carried 16 passports, 58 bank ATM cards, and 140 gram Ecstasy drug tablets (also known as MDMA, a banned narcotic), police said.
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The call was then supposedly transferred to the ‘Narcotics Control Bureau’ where the ‘officer’ forced him to download Skype, come online, police said, adding that later, the fraudsters told him that if he wanted to get rid of the case then he should transfer them money.
Sivakkumar told police that he paid Rs 2.24 crore in eight installments through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS).
The victim realised that he had been cheated only on April 5 and then approached police to lodge a complaint against the unknown fraudsters at the Bengaluru North East Cyber Crime Police Station.
According to police sources, since the beginning of the month about 25 people have fallen prey to the fraudsters and lost over Rs four crore in just the North East Cyber Crime Police Station limits. In most of the cases, a similar mode of operation was adopted, they added.
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Sexual abuse allegations against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna: Truth will prevail soon, he says
Bengaluru (PTI): Hassan MP and Lok Sabha election candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance Prajwal Revanna, who is facing an inquiry over the alleged sexual abuse of several women, has said in a social media post that the truth will prevail soon.
The MP, who left the country as soon as the election to his constituency ended, has also sought seven days' time to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government to inquire into the huge cache of about 3,000 explicit videos and photos allegedly pertaining to him, which have gone viral on social media.
“As I am not in Bangalore to attend the enquiry, I have communicated to CID Bangalore through my advocate. Truth will prevail soon,” Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, said in a Facebook post.
A case has been registered against MLA and former minister H D Revanna and his son Prajwal at Holenarasipura on a complaint lodged by their former cook and relative for allegedly sexually harassing her. She also alleged that Prajwal made video calls to her daughter and spoke in an objectionable manner, which forced her to block him.
The MP who is seeking re-election from Hassan on a JD(S) ticket, shared a letter by his lawyer Arun G to the Deputy Superintendent of Police of the SIT, in which he has sought seven days' time to appear before the official because he is abroad.
Speaking to reporters, advocate Arun said he submitted the letter to the investigation officer of the SIT, over the notice pasted on Prajwal Revanna’s house under 41(A) of the CrPC, seeking seven days' time for his client to appear before him.
“They (SIT) are yet to respond. I am positive that they will accommodate. He also denied having any instruction whether he would come on May 3 or May 4. I just communicated what I was asked to do,” Arun said.
When asked whether he would depose before the SIT, he said, “Isn’t it obvious?”
The lawyer said his client is ready to cooperate with the investigation.
“Even Prajwal Revanna’s father H D Revanna too has said that he will give the fullest cooperation,” he added.
The SIT officials remained tightlipped on giving seven days' time for the accused to present himself before them.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said Prajwal Revanna had used his diplomatic passport to travel abroad, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take swift action to cancel it.
In a letter to Modi, he also asked the PM to take other steps such as using diplomatic and police channels of the Government of India as well as international police agencies to ensure the swift return of the "absconding" member of parliament to face the full force of the law.
