Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 08 December 2024
A recent case of cyber fraud in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has raised alarms about the increasing prevalence of matrimonial scams. The incident unfolded after a resident, who had updated their profile on a matrimonial website, was targeted by a scammer posing as a resident of Sweden.
The victim and the scammer developed a close friendship through WhatsApp chats, during which the scammer shared plans to settle in India and purchase property. On December 1, 2024, the victim was informed that the individual had boarded a flight to India. The following day, an unknown caller, claiming to be a customs officer from Delhi Airport, alleged that the individual had been detained for carrying foreign currency worth ₹1 crore.
The caller demanded immediate payment of a penalty to secure the individual’s release. Trusting the claim, the victim transferred ₹1,79,800 in multiple transactions. The fraud came to light only after the victim realised they had been scammed and subsequently filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP).
This incident underscores the importance of vigilance while interacting online. The Cyber Crime Police Station of A&N Islands have urged citizens to exercise caution with online contacts and refrain from transferring money to unknown individuals without verification.
Residents are encouraged to report cyber fraud incidents through the cybercrime.gov.in portal. For more safety tips, the public can follow @CyberDost on platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Public, Koo, and LinkedIn.
For assistance or inquiries, citizens can contact the Cyber Crime Police Station at the A&N Islands via the Cyber Helpline at 1930 or 9531856083, or visit cybercrime.gov.in.