Pune: Scammers Posing as NCB Officials Dupe Woman of Rs 2.08 Crore in Parcel Fraud
Koregaon Park, 9th May 2024: A 69-year-old woman hailing from a prominent business family in Koregaon Park fell victim to cybercrooks masquerading as Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials, who coerced her into transferring a staggering sum of Rs2.08 crore to multiple bank accounts over a span of ten days, from April 26 to May 6, in a parcel scam.
Prompted by this harrowing experience, the senior citizen lodged a formal complaint with the cyber police on Tuesday, detailing the ordeal she endured at the hands of the fraudulent perpetrators. According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed, the scammers initiated contact with the victim under the guise of a purported narcotics case implicating her. Allegedly, Mumbai customs officials intercepted a parcel destined for Iran on April 18, bearing her name as the sender, allegedly containing 120 strips of LSD, five passports, garments, and other incriminating materials.
Exploiting her vulnerability and fear of legal repercussions, the fraudsters coerced her into transferring funds to various bank accounts, ostensibly to suppress any impending legal action. Distressingly, the victim, without consulting her family members, succumbed to their demands, divulging sensitive personal information including her Aadhaar card number and bank account details during a video call.
Senior Inspector Meenal Patil of the cyber police shed light on the victim’s solitary living arrangements, noting her reluctance to involve her daughter and son-in-law, who reside in the same city, in the unfolding crisis. Patil revealed that the scammers provided the victim with details of eight bank accounts, from which she dutifully transferred sums ranging from Rs20 lakh to Rs45 lakh per day over the course of seven days, ostensibly to evade arrest.
However, a fortuitous encounter with a newspaper article shedding light on parcel frauds prompted the victim to question the legitimacy of the calls, leading her to seek assistance from her daughter, who promptly accompanied her to report the incident to the authorities. Subsequent investigations revealed that the cybercriminals had managed to siphon off a substantial portion of the ill-gotten gains, with only Rs24,000 successfully retained.
‘Scamsters Withdraw Cash from Dubai ATMs’
In a concerning development, investigations into similar cases of parcel and online share trading scams have unearthed a troubling trend wherein fraudsters are withdrawing funds from ATMs located in Dubai. Senior Inspector Meenal Patil elaborated on this modus operandi, highlighting the direct withdrawal of cash from Dubai-based ATMs using ATM cards linked to accounts into which victims were coerced to transfer funds. Patil noted the involvement of private banks from India, which maintain branches and ATMs in Dubai, facilitating the swift withdrawal of illicitly obtained funds.
Peaking Parcel Frauds in the City
The city’s cyber police department has been inundated with reports of parcel frauds, with a staggering 88 cases registered between January 1 and April 30 this year alone. Victims collectively suffered losses amounting to a staggering Rs18 crore, with individual losses ranging from Rs53,000 to Rs1.18 crore. Despite concerted efforts, progress in apprehending the culprits has been hindered by the utilization of money mule accounts for fund transfers, complicating efforts to trace the illicit funds.
Furthermore, cybercrime investigators lamented the increasing use of cryptocurrencies by suspects, purchased using funds siphoned through mule bank accounts, exacerbating the challenges in establishing money trails. Suspects have also resorted to employing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to obfuscate their identities and locations during fraudulent calls, further complicating investigative efforts.
