Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 03 June 2024
A resident of Nayagaon in Port Blair has lodged a formal complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station following an elaborate deception and fraud that saw her lose Rs 20,000.
On May 28, 2024, at approximately 1:03 PM, the victim received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number with country code +92. The caller used the image of a police officer in their profile picture. The caller inquired about her family members and falsely claimed that her daughter was at a police station due to involvement in a financial fraud case, albeit innocent.
The fraudster manipulated the victim emotionally by playing a fake audio of her daughter crying and threatened that the media would soon broadcast her daughter’s alleged involvement in the case. The fraudster demanded Rs. 50,000 from the victim to save her daughter from the legal proceedings and embarrassment. Under duress, the victim was coerced into transferring Rs 20,000 to a specified mobile number via GPay, fearing for her daughter’s safety and reputation.
Despite her suspicions, the victim complied with the demands, only to be further harassed for an additional Rs 30,000. The fraudster justified this by claiming the need to change her daughter’s IMEI number to prevent her arrest. The victim then contacted one of her friends and came to know that her daughter was safe, and realised she had been duped.
The victim promptly reported the incident to the National Crime Reporting Portal. She has now requested the Cyber Crime Police Station to register an FIR against the unknown fraudster and take necessary action.
The authorities urge the public to remain vigilant against such scams and to verify any distress calls independently before taking action.