Woman Duped Of Rs 2.05 L

Hyderabad:Hyderabad cyber crime police have registered a case after a 27-year-old government employee was duped of Rs 2.05 lakh by fraudsters who impersonated her friend and posed as officials. According to the complaint, the fraud began with WhatsApp messages from an international number.

The sender claimed to be a friend of her close friend, currently studying in London. When the victim tried calling her actual friend, the call didn’t connect. Soon after, she received a voice call from the fraudster mimicking her friend, saying he was arriving in Hyderabad from London.

Later, the scammer claimed he had been detained by Income Tax officials at Delhi airport for carrying foreign currency. Another call followed, with the fraudster now posing as an Income Tax officer. He told the victim her friend was in custody and needed to pay `55,500 as a clearance fee. A fake clearance certificate was sent to convince her.

Believing the story, the victim transferred the amount. Later, the caller claimed the amount was insufficient and demanded another `1.5 lakh, which she also sent. When a third demand for `3.5 lakh was made, she grew suspicious and realised she had been cheated. She then filed a complaint with the cyber crime police.

Investigators said the scammers used multiple numbers and impersonated both a friend and a government official to pressure the victim into transferring money. The total amount lost was Rs 2,05,500.

Police are investigating the case and have urged the public to stay alert.

They warned against trusting messages or calls from unknown international numbers, especially those that involve emergencies and demand large transfers. Authorities advised verifying any such claims directly with the concerned person before making any payments.

Ravi Shankar Kumar