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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Ajit Pawar's demise very shocking: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the death of Maharasthra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash was untimely and very shocking.
In a post on X, Modi said Ajit Pawar was a leader of the people with a strong grassroots level connect.
Pawar, 66, and four other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near his hometown Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
"Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra.
"His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti," Modi said.
