Teacher Lost ₹32 Lakh to Cyber Fraud After Discovering “5 Passports in Your Name.

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On a video chat, the criminals claimed that the situation involved drug trafficking and laundering money and requested a transfer of funds to “settle” the matter. The victim deposited the funds without realizing that he had been the victim of a cybercrime.

In Bengaluru, a teacher of 50 years of age has incurred a financial loss amounting to ₹32 lakh subsequent to receiving threats from individuals purporting to be members of the Mumbai crime branch police. These impostors coerced the teacher by asserting the existence of five passports registered under her name, compelling her to take action. Having placed her trust in the request, she proceeded to send funds as requested, only to later come to the realization that she had become a victim of cybercrime.

On August 2nd, a resident of Bengaluru received a telephone call from an individual purporting to be a representative of FedEx Courier Company. The individual received notification that a courier package intended for her had exceedingly confidential personal data, such as her telephone number, Aadhaar number, five passports, five credit cards, and a laptop. Furthermore, the situation had progressed to involve the Mumbai Crime Branch.

The individual received a subsequent communication requesting her participation in a video conference using the Skype application with the purpose of further discussing the revelation of the passport. During the video conference, an individual impersonating an officer from the Anti-Narcotics Control Bureau of the Mumbai Crime Branch apprised her of the fact that the aforementioned documents had been illicitly used by some individuals. The individual in question was compelled to transfer a significant amount of money from her personal bank account, allegedly under the pretense of “facilitating the investigation.”

The individual in question conducted a series of transactions amounting to a sum of ₹32.25 lakhs, wherein funds were transferred to bank accounts supplied by those engaging in fraudulent activities. Following the sudden initiation of the connection, it was promptly canceled, prompting her subsequent visit to the North-East Division CEN police station in order to lodge a formal complaint.

In a comparable instance, a 36-year-old employee of a private organization became a victim and incurred a loss of ₹8 lakh subsequent to the fraudulent individuals asserting that a package sent to him had three passports under his name and 160 grams of MDMA drug, purportedly dispatched from Mumbai to Taiwan. During a video conference, the individual was informed that the situation at hand involved the illicit transportation of narcotics and the illegal process of concealing the origins of funds, often known as money laundering. Subsequently, the individual was manipulated into providing funds with the intention of resolving the aforementioned legal matter. Additionally, he had lodged a formal complaint with the law enforcement authorities.

According to official statements from the Bengaluru Police, an inquiry has been launched into the matter, and as of now, the identities of the suspected individuals involved in the fraudulent activities remain undisclosed.

About The Author:

Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blog, he’s also written for brands including CollegeDunia, Utsav Fashion, and NASSCOM. Naager entered the field of content in an unusual way. He began his career as an insurance sales executive, where he developed an interest in simplifying difficult concepts. He also combines this interest with a love of narrative, which makes him a good writer in the cybersecurity field. In the bottom line, he frequently writes for Craw Security.