Pune: IT Consultant Falls Victim to Email Spoofing, Loses Rs 9.8 Lakh to Cybercrooks

Koregaon Park, 20th January 2024: A 55-year-old IT consultant employed with a city-based software company became the target of cybercrooks who executed a fraudulent scheme known as ’email spoofing,’ resulting in a loss of Rs 9.8 lakh. The victim promptly reported the incident to the cyber police, leading to the registration of a case by the Koregaon Park police on Wednesday.

Email spoofing, a deceptive cyber-scam technique, involves fraudsters manipulating messages to appear as if they originate from a known or trusted person or entity. In this particular case, the consultant fell prey to an email purportedly sent by her office colleague. The email requested her to purchase gift card vouchers on his behalf for gifting purposes. Without verifying the authenticity of the email with her colleague, the woman proceeded to buy 183 gift cards of varying amounts, totaling Rs 9.8 lakh. She then forwarded the purchased gift cards to a contact number mentioned in the email for supposed use or encashment.

The realization of being deceived dawned on the victim when she later discovered from her colleague that he had not sent any such email.

Senior Inspector Nilima Pawar of the Koregaon Park police provided details of the complaint, stating that on October 8, 2023, the consultant received the fraudulent email at her home. The email instructed her to contact the colleague through a specified cellphone number, which, as it turned out, was from the United States.

Upon messaging the number, the person at the other end claimed to be gifting vouchers for employees and urged her to purchase gift codes on his behalf. The woman, believing this person to be her colleague, bought two codes and transferred them, as it was seemingly a regular practice among colleagues.

Between October 8 and 12 of the previous year, the victim continued purchasing 183 gift card codes amounting to Rs9.8 lakh, utilizing her credit card, three bank accounts, and UPI transactions. It wasn’t until the night of October 12, when the woman contacted her colleague, that she realized she had been duped, as her colleague had not sent the email.

Senior Inspector Pawar confirmed that the police have registered the case and initiated an investigation. Details of the financial transactions are being sought from the complainant’s banks to aid in the probe.