Woman falls victim to scam, loses Rs.15,76,716 to fake FedEx representatives
Hyderabad: A 34-year-old woman fell victim to a scam and lost Rs. 15,76,716. The victim, who chose to remain anonymous, was deceived by individuals posing as representatives from FedEx Services, who claimed a package intended for her had not been delivered to Iran.
According to cybercrime officials investigating the case, the fraudsters employed a series of elaborate tactics to force the victim into believing she was involved in a serious legal issue. Initially, the victim was contacted under false pretenses, with the perpetrators alleging her Aadhaar card had been compromised. Subsequently, the scam escalated as the victim was shown fabricated documents and pressured into believing her involvement in a money laundering case.
The scamsters, maintaining contact through a Skype video call, convinced the victim to transfer the entirety of her ICICI Bank account balance, amounting to Rs. 15,76,716, under the guise of verifying her transactions with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). They assured her the funds would be swiftly refunded, exploiting her trust with promises of immediate restitution.
Dear Citizens,
Scammers are posing as officers from police etc and threatening individuals with fake drug delivery accusations . They intimidate victims into sending money during fake statement recording on Skype.
Don’t fall in their trap
Follow us @TGCyberBureau pic.twitter.com/CRU0uPFhHI— Shikha Goel, IPS (@Shikhagoel_IPS) June 22, 2024
Upon realising the deception, the victim promptly disconnected the call and filed a complaint online. Authorities have since issued a warning, emphasizing the importance of vigilance against such scams. They highlighted that legitimate law enforcement agencies do not initiate contact via Skype for financial matters or demand money transfers to resolve legal issues.
“Scammers exploit psychological tactics to manipulate victims, inducing fear and urgency to coerce them into hasty decisions. Individuals must terminate suspicious calls immediately and promptly report any potential fraud to the authorities,” stated a cybercrime official.
In response to the incident, authorities have urged the public to exercise caution when receiving unexpected calls, particularly those purporting to be from reputable organizations like FedEx or government agencies such as the RBI. They have advised individuals to verify the authenticity of such communications through official channels and report any suspicious activity to the Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or via cybercrime.gov.in.
