Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 18 August 2024
A Garacharma resident has fallen victim to an elaborate online scam, resulting in a loss of over ₹2.29 lakh. The incident, which occurred on July 17, 2024, has been reported to the Cyber Crime Police Station in Port Blair.
According to the victim’s written complaint, the scam began with a phone call received at 11:30 AM while at her residence. The caller, identifying himself as Mr. Kuldeep, claimed to be a staff member of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He alleged that a SIM card registered under the victim’s name had been used for fraudulent activities and harassing messages. The caller provided specific details, including the SIM registration date of February 8, 2024, and its location in Andheri East, Mumbai.
When the victim denied any knowledge of the SIM card, the caller insisted it was purchased using her Aadhaar card and asked her to get a Police Clearance Certificate from Mumbai Police. He then transferred the call to another individual, claiming to be Sub-Inspector Pradeep Singh from the Mumbai Cyber Cell. The fraudster pretending to be a Sub-Inspector, provided a mobile number and instructed the victim to accept a WhatsApp video call for statement.
During the video call, the scammers falsely accused the victim of involvement in illegal activities and demanded her Aadhaar and bank account details. Despite her denials, the scammers became aggressive, claiming to have evidence and a warrant against her. Under pressure and in an attempt to resolve the situation, the victim made an initial payment of ₹50,000 via IMPS. However, the demands continued, ultimately leading her to transfer a total of ₹2,29,399.86 through UPI and IMPS from her Axis Bank and SBI accounts.
Realising she had been deceived, the victim lodged a complaint online on National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) on 19th July 2024.