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Online money frauds are increasing but instead of being alert people fall for such false claims and empty their bank accounts. In a recent incident of Rs 28, lakh scammed a 53-year-old lady Mumbai doctor was cheated by a conman who portrayed himself as an oncologist and plastic surgeon on LinkedIn.
On June 30, 2023, a female Mumbai doctor connected to a conman who introduced himself as Jose Fernandes a famous doctor practicing as an oncologist and plastic surgeon in Dublin. The lady doctor is single mother and the conman reowned the trust of her and shared his story of divorced and had a seven year old child whose custody was taken by him. Over seven months, the conman made sure to influce her with his fake stories and told her that he wanted to remarry with someone of the same medical professional.
"He had told that his divorce was in messed up condition and in order to get rid of the situation, he wanted to marry and settle outside his country and showed intrest in the complainant".
The police officer
Jose explained his messed-up divorce story to a lady doctor to make her fall into his false stories. The police officer said, "He had told that his divorce was in messed up condition and in order to get rid of the situation, he wanted to marry and settle outside his country and showed intrest in the complainant".
On June 6, Jose informed the lady doctor that he along his son were coming to India to meet her. Later, he said he could come only by June 10 as they both were held back at Mauritius and his travel itinerary was now via Delhi. On the next day June 11, the lady doctor was contacted by an individual conveying to be a custom officer, alleging that Fernandes had failed to declare Rs 8 lakh in foreign currency. The caller insisted that a registration fee of Rs 72,000 must be paid, and as the Jose was the lady doctor's sole acquaintance in the country, she was requested to transfer the funds.
Under different circumstances, the officer called the lady doctor made her convenience to transfer money, and provided different account details. The doctor was deceived into transferring a total of Rs 28 lakh to secure the safe entry of the 'foreign national' into the country, who was purportedly detained by customs for failure to declare foreign currency.
On June 19, lady doctor received a call from officer an informing her that Jose had been hospitalized and wanted to travel to Mumbai. This made her realize something wrong, possibly fraud. She immediately filed a complaint with the cyber police. After an investigation, the cyber police registered a case under sections 34, 419, and 420, of BNS and section 66(D) of the IT Act.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Tabsum Amjad Baig)
