Mumbai doctor duped of Rs 7.33 lakh by cyber fraudster posing as cop
Mumbai (PTI): A 27-year-old doctor of a civic-run hospital here was allegedly duped of Rs 7.33 lakh by a cyber fraudster who posed as an officer of the Mumbai police, an official said on Saturday.
A case under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) and 465 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act was registered against the unidentified accused last week, the official said.
The complainant, Dr Blessy Esther, a senior doctor at KEM Hospital, alleged that she received a phone call from an unknown number on February 29, and the caller identified himself as an employee of a courier company, he said.
The caller informed the woman that the authorities at the Mumbai airport had intercepted a parcel in her name containing five passports, three credit cards, 140 gm of mephedrone pills, clothes and a laptop, the official said.
As per the complaint, the call was allegedly transferred to the cyber police, who questioned the doctor and when she denied knowledge about the parcel, asked her to lodge a police complaint, he said.
The accused, posing as a police official, also initiated a video call with the complainant, during which, she noticed the Mumbai police logo, the official said.
During the video call, the doctor was informed that several fake bank accounts had been opened in her name, and the money was used to fund terror activities, he said.
According to the first information report (FIR), the accused also sent the complainant a letter on the letterhead of the deputy commissioner of police (cyber) with a forged signature of Navi Mumbai commissioner Milind Bharambe, and he informed her that she would receive intimation from the Reserve Bank of India.
The complainant received intimation from the RBI from an unknown phone number, which contained a code, and she was directed to deposit Rs 6.8 lakh with the bank so that the authorities could verify all her bank accounts, the official said.
The complainant was informed that the money would be returned to her within half an hour, he said.
The doctor transferred the amount to the bank account mentioned in the letter, and the accused again asked her to pay Rs 48,800 for filing affidavits in her name to give her a clean chit, the official said.
When the doctor did not receive the money back, she realised that she had been duped and approached the police, he said.
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UP man dies by suicide in Bengaluru, leaving behind 24 page death note
Bengaluru, Dec 9: A 34-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh died by hanging himself from the ceiling at his residence on Monday, police said.
Atul Subhash, who worked in a private firm in Bengaluru, left behind a 24-page death note alleging harassment by his wife and her relatives, they added.
The incident occurred in the Manjunath Layout area, which falls under the Marathahalli police station limits, police said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Subhash had been facing marital discord with his wife, and she had registered a case against him in Uttar Pradesh, a senior police officer said.
He also sent his death note via email to several people and shared it with a WhatsApp group of an NGO he was associated with, the officer said.
According to the police, Subhash hung a placard in his house that read "Justice is due".
Before taking the extreme step, he allegedly pasted important details on a cupboard, including information about his death note, vehicle keys, and a list of tasks he had completed and those still pending, the officer said.
"A case will be registered in connection with the death once his family files a complaint. A detailed investigation is underway," he added.
